Tawakemono
by Susan Dreamer
Summary: Multi-chapter FutureFic, NejiTen. Snippets of NaruHina. For all his genius, it still takes all of his friends to get Neji to see...
1. I'm returning the favor

**_Author's Notes: _Y**ay, it's NejiTen! I liked my previous story, _Koigokoro_, so much and had such fun writing it that I'm going to continue on a similar note, chapter-wise that is. If anyone thinks the chapters are too short, that's your problem, not mine. I'd rather post two short chapters a week than spend two weeks struggling to make them longer and lose my mojo while I'm at it. This feels natural, so this is what I'm gonna do. Other than that... Please be so kind as to leave me a review. They mean the world to me, and honestly; wouldn't you want to know how people liked your writing if you were standing in my shoes? ;) Anyways, enjoy my new story! Updates are two to three days in between.

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own nothing.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o1. "I'm returning the favor."**

***

Hinata clutched the edge of the sliding door as she kneeled in front of it, peeking round the corner. This was the Hyuuga compound's largest dojo, a clean, bright space that smelled of wood and incense. It was of more recent build than other practice areas in the compound and therefore stood a little to the side, away from the buzzing activity of clan life. Hinata knew that was why Neji preferred it. In the exact enter of the dojo her cousin knelt facing away from her, perfectly still. No doubt he already knew she was there...

"Neji-nii-san?"

A slight shift of his head, a nod in recognision. "Hinata-sama." She could see the tension leave his shoulders. Neji didn't tolerate it when someone disturbed his meditation - anyone but her. Even so, she didn't like to intrude on his private time at the dojo and usually stayed away like everyone else did. But this was important. She nodded to herself. This was priority business.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked tentatively.

Neji turned towards her with a sigh, and Hinata smiled. That was a yes. She crossed the treshold, padded across the tatami and settled down next to him. His eyes were patient and she was grateful for it, but her nerves were still fraying. All the carefully put together sentences she'd rehearsed in her head had abandoned her.

"Remember when you told Naruto-kun to start paying attention? To me, and... And my feelings?" she asked awkwardly, wringing her hands.

A frown creased his brow. "Of course. Do you regret me doing so, Hinata-sama?"

What? She pulled her gaze up to meet his eyes, taken aback. "Of course not! I-I've never been happier!"

The crease in his forehead softened. "What, then?"

She steeled her nerves. _For Tenten-san, for Tenten-san... _"I'm returning the favor," she announced. His only response was the lift of two dark eyebrows. "You... You should pay attention, nii-san." Heavens, she felt like she was ordering him around! Hinata felt entirely out of her league. It hadn't been as hard and embarrassing in her mind... "To Tenten-san," she finished, eyes fixed on the floor.

When a full sixty seconds had passed, she sneaked a look at his face. Neji was staring at her, confusion written on his face. "Tenten," he said.

She nodded frantically. "S-she... She likes you."

"How do-"

"Nii-san," she interrupted softly, "I know what it's like to love someone without them knowing."

The look on his face grew at once more unsettled and yet more rigid, his eyes unreadable. "All due respect, but you are wrong."

Hinata shook her head. "I don't think I am," she stated quietly.

"She would have told me, Hinata-sama." He rose suddenly, gracefully. "Tenten does not keep secrets from me." Hinata could see he had already dismissed the notion, and she sighed. Was it hopeless, then?

"Not 'secrets', no," she agreed, looking up at him from her perch on the floor. "Just one."

"Please excuse me." Neji dipped his head in a stiff bow. "Hinata-sama."

"Of course," she nodded and watched him leave, watched the tension in the way he moved. Her words had abandoned her anyway, so it was no use trying to stop him. Hinata turned her gaze down at her hands, contemplating the conversation. Had she succeeded? Well... She'd sure given him some food for thought, at least. But was it enough?

Hinata smiled softly. Perhaps she ought to enlist Naruto?

***

**Reviews, my lovelies? (L)**


	2. You may be clinically insane

**_Author's Notes: _**I was really pleased with the response I got from folks here when I posted the first chapter, so here is the second! Yay. Introducing Tenten who is stubborn, Ino who is gossipping, Sakura who swears and Neji who is still ignorant. You simply have to love the guy, don't you? I know I do. Thanks to _Nywenn, hullotherexx, KNO, Unknown Variable _and _Irischeto _for favouriting this story or adding it the their alerts, and huge thanks to_hullotherexx, WinterVines, KNO, seesay99 _and _Irischeto _for reviewing! You guys are the best. Anyway, enjoy and please be so kind as to let me know what you think in a review! It would mean the world to me.

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Naruto. Except for my plushies.

* * *

_Tawakemono_

**o2. "You may be clinically insane."**

**

* * *

**

Tenten entered Tae's Teashop at a quarter past five in the afternoon, the warmth enveloping her like a blanket after the bitter cold outside, as a little bell overhead signalled her arrival. Tae's shop was a tiny place, tucked away in an alley off the main shopping street of Konoha. Even smaller was the clientele; what with all the tables and seats that had been crammed into the space the shop could probably house all of Tenten's friends, but it was a rare day when old Tae could say she'd served even a dozen costumers. It was the perfect place to settle down after a hard day's work for tea and talk, something Tenten and her three best kunoichi friends indulged in on a weekly basis - if they had the time. They had the place to themselves today, except for the old man by the window who came around everyday.

"Tenten!" Ino called from their usual corner table, the largest in the establishment.

Sakura raised an arm overhead. "Hi, Tenten!" The two chairs across from them were vacant. Tenten quickly made her way over and slid down across from them, winding her scarf from her neck.

"Hi guys. Where's Hinata?"

Ino shrugged, sipping her tea. "She came by the shop earlier, said she needed to find Naruto."

Tenten shrugged. "Okay." It wasn't like Hinata to skip their weekly meeting, but she was sure the girl had a good reason.

"We ordered for you," Sakura said, pushing one of the steaming mugs in front of her across the table.

"Thank you," Tenten breathed gratefully as she wrapped her hands around the drink. It was still warm... She'd been looking forward to this moment ever since she stepped out into the cold to train.

"Cinnamon-flavoured, just the way you like it," Ino sang. She wagged a finger. "But I don't think you deserve it! You're late," she accused with a flick of blond hair.

Sakura hit Ino on the arm. "Behave, pig."

Tenten knew better than to let them squabble, so she quickly apologised. "Sorry, guys. Neji was particularly demanding today."

Two sets of eyes stared at her, incredulity written in them. Tenten could have grown a second head and they still wouldn't have looked as stunned as they did now. Sakura was the first to speak. "You were training?"

"That's crazy, Tenten," Ino stated matter-of-factly. "It's freezing out there," she stated, shivering as she glanced out the window.

Tenten shrugged, taking a first sip of her tea. "So? We need to be able to fight in the cold, too." She wasn't about to admit this had been one of those training sessions where she had to run chakra through her weapons to make them warm enough to actually be able to wield them.

Sakura shook her head in exasperation. "You two need to learn how to give it a rest, honestly."

"Why don't you just tell him to suck it every once in a while?" Ino asked.

Tenten nearly spat out her tea at the thought of Neji's face when she told him to 'suck it'. Ino's suggestion was a tempting one, if only to see Neji actually wear the facial expression he now bore in her imagination... But no temptation could ever be greater than that of spending time with him, even if it was only for training. She'd never willingly say no to an afternoon of alone-time with him. However, that wasn't something she could very well tell the girls...

"There's nothing wrong with a little environmental endurance training," she argued.

Which was true. She knew she'd made sacrifices for Neji, but he did the same. Neji never hesitated to be the first to head into enemy territory, and there had been countless times he'd taken the risk of turning his blind spot towards the enemy to save her. He owed her, but she owed him too. She'd never have achieved her pin-point accuracy with all the weapons in her arsenal if not for Neji's relentless attacks.

"Nooo," Ino corrected, "there is something wrong with you."

Sakura nodded. "You might actually be clinically insane. I'll consider you a patient from now on," she joked.

Tenten sighed. She wasn't insane, that was for sure. She knew exactly what was 'wrong' with her, and it was a lot more impossible to cure than insanity. "Don't tell me you wouldn't come running if Sasuke wanted you to train," she remarked, meeting Sakura's eyes carefully.

"That's different," Sakura murmured.

"No, it's not," Tenten replied. It felt strangely like a confession.

Sakura's eyes grew wider. "Are you kidding me?" she asked tentatively.

After a moment's hesitation, Tenten replied: "No. But don't tell anyone, please?" She wasn't ready for the world to know.

Sakura's smile instantly lifted the mood. "Of course not. I've sworn my Hippocratic Oath, remember?" she said with a wink. Ino, in the meantime, shook her head at her two companions and focused on her tea. Usually she was the one dragging Shikamaru's ass to the training field, instead of the other way around!

* * *

**Reviews, darlings? (L)**


	3. Hello

**_Author's Notes: _**There, today you get two! This takes place at the same time as chapter two, that's why.

Okay, warning: this is all NaruHina and most likely the fluffiest thing I've ever written. It's also fairly long. They do that to me, you see. They're just so _cute_, one could write about them all day and not get bored. Anyway... I don't think it'd be good for me to write a full NaruHina story, because I have so much difficulty imagining them not together, writing a 'coming together' fic for them would be impossible. And it'd be 100% fluff, and I don't want to overdose you guys. ;) Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please review! It means so much to me if you do. Have fun!

P.S.: The jutsu Naruto uses is the one which gave his dad the nickname Yellow Flash. I like to think Naruto will take that technique and pump it up a level in the future. :D

**_Disclaimer: _**Me not own Naruto.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o3. "Hello."**

***

There he was!

"Naturo-kun!" Hinata called, waving an arm overhead to draw his attention as she sped down the road towards him. She breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted her and halted his pace. She'd been looking for him for half an hour already, and the Byakugan proved to be worthless when it came to locating Naruto. This was one of the few disadvantages of loving Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja.

Once she'd caught up with him, he was all smiles and sparkles, and the warmth in his deep voice when he said her name nearly made her dizzy. One of the _many_ advantages, she mused.

"Naruto-kun, I need your help," she began. "See, I-"

Naruto interrupted her by laying a finger on her lips. "Hold that thought, Hinata-chan." He grinned widely. "You haven't even said hello to me properly!" With that, he looped an arm around her waist and tilted her face up.

Hinata felt her cheeks flush cherry red and shot a glance around. They were in one of the busiest streets in town, she was obviously a Hyuuga, and he was the Hokage to be. They were bound to attract attention. "Naruto-kun," she plead softly, "people are watching!"

He shot her another one of those looks, the ones that gave her heart palpitations. "No problem." He released her to slam his hands together in a familiar seal. His misschievous grin down at her told her that her suspicions were right. "You remember this, don't you? Hold on tight!"

She barely had time to latch onto his waist with both arms tightly before that familiar lurch pulled at her mind and body and her vision of the street disappeared as her eyes were forced shut by the pressure. She couldn't feel anything but Naruto in her hands, and clutched him tighter to her. Inside the void, it felt as though time had stopped.

After what she knew to be only a second, she felt land underneath her feet again and the veil that blocked her senses was lifted. It felt strangely like coming up for air after diving into the ocean. Hinata took a deep breath as she surveyed where he'd taken her.

The village of Konoha was spread out like a map beneath her, all the main streets coming together at the building right near the base of the cliff. To her left and right, shapes hewn from the rock formed the images of previous and current Hokages. They were on Naruto's father's head - he had taken her there before, the day she had confessed to him and he had returned the favour. It had been the best day of her life up to that point. Up to that point, because every day she'd seen him since then had been even better than the day before.

She didn't get much time to admire the view, because Naruto turned her face towards him instead with a strong hand at the back of her neck. She took in whiskered cheeks, a blinding smile and gemstone eyes and felt her love for him fill her up.

"Where was I?" He murmured.

"Um, you were about to 'say hello to me properly', right?" she quoted. Naruto's gaze drifted to her lips and the corners of his mouth softened into something better.

"Right," he mumbled before leaning down to kiss her.

If there was one thing Hinata had learned over time, it was that when he kissed her she had to hold on to him for dear life. if she didn't she'd certainly collapse, shaking and trembling from the feelings that overwhelmed her. So, Hinata threw her arms around his neck and fisted her hands in his collar before surrendering herself to him and losing all sense of time and space.

When he finally let her go, Hinata experienced that same sensation of coming up for air, only this time she wished she could have stayed underwater all her life. She kept her eyes closed while she regained her breath. Naruto thoughtfully held her pressed against him in his embrace; they'd both learned from their first kiss, when she'd dropped to the ground the moment he released her. His I-just-kissed-my-girlfriend-smile was there to greet her when she opened her eyes. It was physically impossible for her not to smile back.

"Hello," she whispered breathlessly, cheeks flaming.

She felt Naruto's chuckle deep in his chest more than she heard it. "Hi." He pressed another soft kiss to her forehead before sweeping her off her feet and setting her down in a sitting position gently. She leaned her back against the cliffside and held a fumbling hand out. His met hers halfway as he too sat down.

"So... You needed my help?"

Hinata's mind blanked for a moment before she realised what he was talking about. "Oh, right."

"Well?"

"It's about Neji-nii-san," she confessed.

The look in his eyes instantly grew serious. "Did he do something?" Naruto demanded.

She quickly shook her head and squeezed his hand to ease his thoughts. "No, it's nothing like that... This is a matter of utter secrecy," she stressed.

"Of course," Naruto nodded. "I won't say a word unless you want me to."

Hinata drew her knees up to her chest and gazed out over the village thoughtfully. "Tenten-san is in love with him."

Naruto blinked comically, twice. "Are you serious, Hinata-chan?"

"Of course," she nodded. "It's obvious once you know what to look for."

"Okay..." Hinata couldn't help but think the confused frown made him look incredibly cute. "What's that got to do with me?"

"They are perfect for one another, but nii-san just doesn't see it!" she explained.

Instantly, his face brightened with understanding. "Aha! You want to set 'em up!"

"Not exactly..." Hinata corrected. "But he's just so ignorant when it comes to this, and I don't want Tenten to have to wait for ever for him to come to his senses, and..." She sought for the right words. "I thought maybe you could give him a little push?" It came out sounding like a question.

"I ought to kick some sense into him," Naruto said, slamming his fist into his palm. "Again."

She ought to have known he'd want to fight it out. For all his virtues, subtlety wasn't usually one of them. But he was one of the few people she knew who might get through to her cousin, and Hinata figured it was worth a shot. "Naruto-kun, please don't get violent with him?" she pleaded, tugging on his sleeve. "Just... Talk to him? You owe him one," she reminded him.

His whole face softened at that. "Okay." She was halfway to thanking him when he held up a hand. "For a kiss."

Hinata had never been more willing to comply with anyone.

***

**Review, my sweet? (L)**


	4. Oi, Neji?

**_Author's Notes:_** Ha! Here's the first actual Neji of the story. He gave me a tough time, but I like to think I did him at least some justice. I am so sorry it took such a long time, but I've been wrapped up in all these important tests and dissertations at school... Thanks to _WinterVines, hullotherexx _and _KNO _for reviewing! You guys are the best. Please enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think in a review, it would mean the world to me! :D

**_Disclaimer: _**I only wish.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o4. "Oi, Neji?"**

***

Could it be true?

A week ago, Hinata-sama had come to him and confided in him something... Something most unorthodox. He'd been confused ever since.

Neji glanced at Tenten. He had never lied to her, and it was in her nature to respect this commitment to their partnership by doing the same. If he were to get into technicalities, it didn't mean she couldn't keep things from him... But still, he would have expected her to tell him something as important as loving him.

There was also the fact that he was not a man easily deceived, especially when it came to the members of his team. Tenten would have a tough time keeping anything from him - he had difficulty imagining the level of acting skills required for maintaining such a deception. It was impossible...

Hinata-sama simply had to be mistaken. Neji conveniently overlooked the fact that if anyone were to realise something like this, it would be his cousin. He knew she was knowledgeable on matters of the heart. Hinata picked up on people's inner feelings like she had a radar for them - more than a few times had she been the only one to know he was troubled or hurt. She, and Tenten.

Neji shook his head fiercely. There would be so many complications if Tenten were in love with him. He didn't want to think about it.

"Oi, Neji?" Tenten's voice shook him from his thoughts. The world came back into focus when he blinked, and Neji realized his gaze had been fixed on her.

"You were staring at me," she clarified.

"I see," Neji muttered, looking away. It appeared he was more prone to staring than she was, even though Tenten was the one supposedly in love. He caught her surprised expression from the corner of his vision.

"A lot on your mind?"

Neji nodded, more to himself than to her. "Something like that."

"Want to talk about it?"

One of the things Neji liked most about Tenten and that had drawn him to her even before their team had been formed back at graduation was that while she did not push, unlike other girls Tenten was never afraid to ask. And if he brushed her off, she did not linger. Tenten simply took it in her stride and moved on. That's why he chose not to reply to her question - because he knew that unlike others, she would not be hurt or offended by his lack of response.

"Okay," Tenten amended easily, accepting his silence. She turned away from him to prod the fire and engage in conversation with Lee.

Was it possible? Neji dug through his memory, but in eight years of being on the same time he couldn't remember one instance where she'd expressed any interest in him. Not to mention anyone else.

It wasn't for lack of trying on the part of Konoha's male population, too. There had been that time when Kiba swore he would make the resident weapon's mistress fall for him... And that boy from their academy class before that. And last year on a mission, a young heir from Rice Country had made it quite clear that he was attracted to her. Neji still suspected that the man had only hired Team Gai to get in touch with Tenten. He had been on the verge of Jyuukening their client into a wall when Tenten herself made it quite clear that she was not interested.

So why him?

"Neji?"

Tenten's voice shook him from his thoughts a second time. She was looking at him over her shoulder, big brown eyes smiling and shaking him to the core.

"You were doing it again."

***

**Reviews, darlings? (L)**


	5. Shit

**_Author's Notes:_** Again, sorry for the wait. School has been butchering me with a very, very blunt axe. It's all work no play these days, unfortunately. However, I made a few changes in the plot and am SEVERELY liking it now. I hope you do too, I'd hate for this note to get your hopes up and then have you be disappointed. Let's hope that doesn't happen! I've made Neji just a little less ignorant because I think it fits his personality more to be quite sharp, and this also means there will be less people attempting to get them together. Don't worry, there'll still be Nauto/Hinata matchmaking attempts, but I've reduced the role that I originally gave to Sakura, Ino and Lee. Also, there'll be a few more hints of SasuSaku since I know a lot of my readers love 'em. Anything for you, my dears. ;)

I want to thank the fabulous Afictionado, Yiin-Yiin, copperwind and windsword8064 for adding this story to their favourites or their story alerts, and as always HUGE thanks and the biggest hug go to WinterVines, KNO, Afictionado and ness345 for reviewing. Your words honestly make my day, so please take just a minute to tell me what you think! It means the world to me. Thanks in advance, sweethearts. :D Enjoy!

Oh, BTW, it's a shorty, but the next won't be such a long wait. Promise!

**_Disclaimer: _** If only... The quality of the anime would be five times higher, seriously.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o5. "Shit."**

***

_'Whoa.' _

Amber eyes snapped open in shock. Tenten panted heavily, blinking at the darkness in confusion before the soft mattress underneath her back and the familiarity of the old pillow told her where she was. In her own bed, in her own room, on her own. Not with...

She lifted a hand to sweep her hair back across her scalp, staring up at the ceiling as she waited for her eyes adjust to the darkness. Slowly the shapes of the furniture in her bedroom emerged from the night, the reality of them contrasting with the phantom images flashing through her head. _'Just a dream...' _Tenten wasn't sure if that notion made her happy or sad.

She pushed herself upright with a sigh, swinging her legs of the edge of the bed and burying her toes in the carpet. The dark sky outside her window was draped over the buildings of Konoha like navy satin, sprinkled with pinpricks of starlight. Unlike previous nights, she didn't try to stop her gaze from wandering over to the region where she knew the Hyuuga compound to be. It wasn't like it was any use to resist anymore. While she may not like what she felt, Tenten prided herself on being a person who didn't lie to herself and she'd known for a while now that the days of denial were long gone.

Tenten dropped back onto the mattress, digging her nails into the sheets and voicing her frustration in the only possible way:

"Shit."

She had grown used to thinking of Neji over the years as her feelings for him gradually increased. And any kunoichi in her right mind would be backtracked at least a little at the sight of Hyuuga Neji after training, shirt and hair plastered to broad shoulders. But ever since they returned from their routine border control mission to the north, pearl eyes had been everywhere for her. It annoyed her to no end. Where was her self-control?

At least she could blame Neji for this one, Tenten mused. If he hadn't looked at her like that, that night by the fire... If he hadn't looked at her like he'd never truly paid attention to her before and was trying to pull her every personal secret from her very bones, then she wouldn't be missing so much sleep. Then she wouldn't be positively haunted by visions of herself and Neji, entangled until no one could tell where she ended and he began.

She hadn't brought up his strange behaviour again since there had been no more incidents after they returned home a week ago, but her mind did not relent. In those few seconds she'd seen that look in his eyes, her mind had flooded with possibilities because he had been looking at her as though he was considering those same possibilities. Possibilities she didn't even know they had because such things had simply always been out of the question. She'd ruled any hope she might have ever had out a long time ago. It was look, but don't touch with Neji. And then he had to study her like that and crush her carefully constructed composion, catapulting her into nights of pleasure and agony at the same time.

"Tenten, you're insane," she whispered into the dark room, letting the breath rush out of her in a sigh.

_'Completely insane.'_

***

**Don't forget to review, my sweets! (L)**


	6. Losing your touch?

**_Author's Notes:_** Again, sorry for the wait. I am the worst person ever.

And I hate this chapter too. Neji feels... I don't know. Next one will be better, promise.

I want to thank the fabulous _3Kiyoshi3, faerichylde, Nitouryuu, AliKat12, mymysticdreamer_ and _TheWallflowers_ for adding this story to their favourites or their story alerts, and as always HUGE thanks and the biggest hug go to _WinterVines, KNO, Afictionado_ and _Nitouryuu_ for reviewing. Your words honestly make my day, so please take just a minute to tell me what you think! It means the world to me. Thanks in advance, sweethearts. :D Enjoy!

**_Disclaimer: _Nope. **

***

_Tawakemono_

**o6. "Losing your touch?"**

***

"You should ask her out."

Neji skidded to an abrupt halt. Clouds of dirt billowed about his feet, filling the indenture left by his Kaiten. He analyzed the man in front of him silently. A very familiar grin, bright blue eyes and horrible posture.

Naruto.

"Leave," Neji warned lowly.

Naruto's grin widened substantially as he bit down on his apple. "But you're so much fun to watch when you're going crazy," he replied. He didn't attempt to swallow before speaking.

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Haven't you got better use for your time, Naruto?" he suggested, checking his temper. It wasn't like Naruto had anything to do with the matter that had his mind hauled up continuously these days.

"Not really. My current mission is getting you a girlfriend, you know."

Scratch that - Naruto had everything to do with it, and he was going down. Neji snapped his eyes open, glaring at the blonde. "What do you mean?" he demanded. Naruto didn't reply, instead took another bite from his apple and raised an eyebrow in expectation. A second later, Neji saw.

"Hinata-sama," he breathed. Of course.

"Uh-huh," Naruto confirmed.

Neji sat himself down on the ground - he still bore the lacerations on his thigh that Tenten had delivered upon him during training several days ago.

"She's got the wrong idea," he stated. "Tenten is a friend."

"I've been right where you are. That's what I said, too," Naruto answered cheerily, tossing his apple up and down. "He don't know what he's talking about, that's the craziest thing I've ever heard. But then you start to pay attention. And it's not so crazy after all."

"She's not interested."

Naruto shook his head violently. "You know, I thought I knocked enough sense into you the first time. Want me to do it again?" The spark in his eyes told Neji that he wasn't kidding.

"She's not," Neji repeated firmly.

"Are you?" Naruto inquired frankly. Neji didn't reply, but he couldn't help but think back and remember the reason for his slip-up in training. Tenten had simply been too distracting. And he was sure she hadn't even intended it to tip the odds in her favor. Tenten's diversions usually consisted of wire and metal, and he had been distracted by anything but.

"Catch!"

Neji had just enough time to look up and register the apple core barelling towards him. He caught it by reflex alone.

Naruto's grin was taunting, and for a moment Neji considered if the future Hokage could read minds. "Losing your touch?" Naruto sang.

Neji decided he would not dignify that question with any answer, except for one.

"Shut up."

***

**Don't forget to review, my sweets! (L)**


	7. Seduction and Neji don't mix

**_Author's Notes:_** Again, sorry for the wait. School still hasn't decided to give up on murdering me. But I shall prevail! It's the holidays now and I'm free from school (even though I still have a ton of homework) so tomorrow I am scheduling in a writing day - I'll drop behind my desk at 9 am to write, take short breaks to eat and then crash in bed at 11 pm! I can't wait. It's been so long since I just sat down and wrote, wrote, wrote... Yay.

This has been rewritten so many times... It has been waiting to be published for almost two weeks now but I'm never quite satisfied with it. I think I've managed to get it up to my usual level though, so I'm glad about that. This chapter takes place right around the same time as chapter six, _Awakening_, just so you know.

Also, I changed back to what I did in _Koigokoro, _with the chapter titles that are quotations from the chapter? I like that a whole lot better than the verb chapter titles, so I went back and changed it for every chapter.

As always, a tiny paragraph here to thank the fans (whom I could never thank enough, but I'll try nonetheless): you're the best! Hugs to _Fake Bliss_ and _MariamUchiha_ for faving or putting my story on their alert list, and huge hugs, kisses and cookies to the fabulous _KNO, WinterVines _and _Fake Bliss_ for reviewing. And of course also thanks so much to all other readers! You know I love you guys.

Reviews mean the world to me, so please take just a moment to tell me what you think of my writing. It would truly make my day. And enjoy, I hope you like it!

**_Disclaimer: _** Maybe if we fanfiction writers all pitch in, together we could buy the Naruto imperium and totally manipulate the storyline to fit our wants and needs? Until then, I regret to have to say that I don't own anything.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o7. "Seduction and Neji don't mix."**

***

Tenten sipped her tea diligently, staring at the old clock on the wall over the rim of her cup. She had been hoping to spend a nice afternoon just chatting with the girls to get her mind of things, but they were late. And without the distraction of a mission or training or friends... Her mind couldn't help but wander.

She straightened in her seat as the little bell over the door tingled and sighed in relief when her three fellow kunoichi bustled in, bringing chatter and the hustle bustle of shedding winter coats and scarves with them. Tenten waved them over. "I thought you weren't going to make it!" she scolded, but the smile on her face belied her tone of voice.

Ino shrugged, plopping down in her seat. "Sorry! I couldn't find my favourite scarf, so I had to enlist these two," she motioned with her head, "to find it." Tenten rolled her eyes. With Ino, it was bound to be something like that that caused her tardiness.

"Right, 'cause it was so important," Sakura replied with a roll of green eyes, earning a playful glare from her best friend.

"Long time no see, Tenten-chan," Hinata smiled as she took a seat demurely. "How was your mission?"

Tenten surpressed a yawn before replying. "Success." Well, that was as far as the mission was concerned. When it came to her personal life, that mission had only served to complicate things. "Help yourselves," she added, gesturing at the tea cups arranged on the table. Ino and Hinata gladly accepted the offer, but Sakura raised a brow and scrutinized Tenten carefully.

"And you?" she asked frankly.

Tenten shrugged, rubbing at the bags under her eyes - a vivid reminder of last night's hallucinated encounter whenever she looked at her reflection. "Don't worry. I've just been a little distracted lately."

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked worriedly.

Sakura frowned. "Having trouble sleeping? I could get you some sleep meds, if you want..." she suggested with an encouraging smile.

Tenten shook her head. It was a kind offer, but she doubted it would help her regain her usual focus. Not when Neji haunted not only her dreams but her every waking thought as well. Was there a cure for unrecruited love? If so, she'd gladly take it. "Thanks, but I don't think that'll help much."

Ino leant over the wooden counter top to stare at Tenten intently. The latter felt strangely as though she should have left instead of waiting for the girls, because that would have prevented the trouble that the realization dawning on Ino's face spelled. God only knew what Ino could let slip when she was this excited about something. The last thing Tenten needed was Miss Gossip spreading the word.

The blonde leant back in her chair again, pulling her lips back into an almost feral grin. "It's a guy," she stated, voice laced with confidence and certainty.

"Ino!" Sakura chided, glaring at her friend.

Ino glared right back. "What? It's true."

"Says who?"

Ino pointed at herself violently. "Me! I'm an expert, Sakura. And you should see it, too!"

Tenten raised a hand before Sakura could reply and things escalated. It wouldn't be the first time the four of them were requested to leave a establishment because several members of their party were rather vocal in their disputes. "Please, guys? I already have a headache." Ino settled down reluctantly, but the predatory gleam hadn't left her eyes entirely.

"It's nii-san, isn't it?" Hinata offered quietly.

The direct question threw Tenten off guard at first, but then she realized she should have been expecting it. There where few who knew Neji better than his timid, insightful cousin, and then there were few who knew Tenten herself better than Hinata did. She sighed. Maybe what she needed most wasn't distraction, but council.

"He's been so strange." she admitted.

Ino raised a brow. "He's always strange."

"No he isn't." Tenten argued. She frowned. Maybe she was just used to him? The closest she'd ever come to him was that he was simply an acquired taste. Tenten replayed the memory in her head for the umpteenth time. That look in his pale eyes, all the more piercing due to the darkness surrounding them. That look that had left her mind reeling with the possiblities of all she'd ever dared to hope for and much, much more. "A week ago, he was staring at me, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. Neji doesn't stare at anyone - he doesn't need to." She motioned towards her eyes to clarify. "I don't see what changed."

Ino's wide grin seemed to almost ping in that way Lee and Gai-sensei had perfected. Tenten couldn't help but feel a wary sort of trepidation. "Interesting," Ino purred.

"Are you sure?" Sakura questioned, doubt written in her features. Tenten understood; too many times had Sakura been disappointed by her own prodigy to feel hope without hesitation.

Tenten nodded pensively, sipping her hot tea. "Positive. It was crazy."

"Are you saying he..." Hinata fumbled for words, "might feel the same?" An instant blush appeared on her cheeks.

Tenten instantly shook her head, perhaps with a little more force than necessary. "No."

"Oh," Hinata sighed, disappointment practically oozing from her.

Tenten toned her previous statement down a bit. "I'm not allowing myself to think of that. Or rather, I'm trying not to."

"And failing," Ino pointed out with a smirk. "That's why you've been distracted. What you need to do is seduce him! Flirt with him!" She wiggled her brows in a worryingly suggestive way.

Tenten didn't know about that. "Seduction and Neji don't mix. I doubt he's even susceptible to a woman's charms." She crushed the urge to sigh.

"You don't mean..."

Tenten blinked in shock. "I just meant that he's hard to get to," she clarified quickly.

"If he was staring at you, obviousy you got to him," Sakura shrugged. Hinata nodded in support of that reasoning.

Tenten shook her head. "This is crazy! You guys too?" It was bad enough to have one out of the Terrible Two out to give her love advice. Having both members of the dynamic duo meddling might be a little too much. And Hinata, to boot! Tenten was beginning to doubt ever confessing to them.

"Well, Ino has a point." Sakura stated. "I mean, you don't want to confront him all out, right?"

Tenten didn't have to think about that twice. If there was one thing she held no illusions about it was that actually telling Neji how she felt was a _Bad _idea - capital B required.

Sakura continued in her professional voice, the one she used to describe a medical procedure or list the injuries of a patient. It was a habit she'd picked up over years of medical studies. "Then isn't it a better idea to give him just the slightest hint here and there? Underneath the underneath. You can always deny it if he reacts negatively."

"He cares about you anyway, even if it's just as a friend. It's not like he'll never talk to you again after this. It might be awkward for a little while, but your bond can definitely survive that," Ino clarified. Even if she wasn't sure she agreed, Tenten was glad Ino had moved from 'madness' on to 'helpful in a weird way'.

Sakura winked. "I should know! Naruto's told me a hundred times that he loves me without me feeling the same, but he's still my best friend," she supplied. "It tops doing nothing and torturing yourself over it," she reasoned with a smile. "And if he reacts positively..."

Ino's eyebrows did that _thing_ again.

"Just think about it, okay?" Hinata added, the look in her eyes almost pleading.

Tenten couldn't help but smile at the three hopeful faces of her friends and couldn't help the hope and determination blooming in her chest at their words.. "I guess." With a deep sigh, she signed her fate. "I'll think about it."

***

**Love you guys! Please hit review, my darlings, can't wait to find out how you like this lil' figment of my imagination :D xox**


	8. You wouldn't lie to me

**_Author's Notes:_** Yay for writing day! I've already written up three chapters today - which will be up every other day or something like that. Here's number eight.

As always, thanks to the fans: you're the best! Hugs to one of my favourite readers, _WinterVines_, for being one of the most loyal reviewers I've ever had and thanks to _Ms. Arsenic _who is new to the story but an instant fan! And of course also thanks so much to all future reviewers of chapter 7 - I didn't give you much time, didn't I? Well, I guess that's a good thing. And finally, thanks to all other readers! I'd be nowhere without you. You know I love you guys.

This is what I like to call a confrontation chapter - maybe not to the extent that later chapters will be, but... Let's just say this is when it starts to get interesting. Sit back and enjoy, chums, 'cause this is going to be a good one. _And _don't forget to leave me your thoughts! You don't even know how much I appreciate it when people take the time to tell me personally that they like what I'm writing, it's the best feeling in the world and it means so much to me. So make my day, lovelies? :D

**_Disclaimer: _** Na-ah. There would be way more actual romance in the series if I'd been the author. Sadly, I'm not, and we have to make do with fanfiction! _Naruto_ belongs to its rightful owners, etc etc.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o8. "You wouldn't lie to me."**

***

"Morning, Neji," Tenten waved as she entered their usual training site. It was the same patch of dirt and grass surrounded by forests that Gai-sensei had taken them to for their first training session. The tingle of anticipation as she took to the floor hadn't changed over the years, just like the feeling of exhaustion (first caused by the unimaginable mixture of Gai and Lee, now caused mainly by Neji's tireless tactics) when they left hadn't lessened a bit.

"Tenten." He didn't look up, but then again there was no need. Few people but the four of them ever came upon this training ground. It was the farthest away from general hustle-bustle. And it was just as well - what with the vigour of some of Team Gai's spars, trespassing here could be quite lethal.

Neji was at his usual spot in the middle of the grounds from where it was easy to see the whole area - not that it wasn't a piece of cake for him to do so in the first place. But centering the fight in the middle of their training area kept Tenten at an even distance from any trees all throughout the fight, which made it harder for her to sneak off into the shadows of the foliage to get a breather. Neji was nothing if not relentless. That was why he was her favourite sparring partner - unlike most male ninja, Neji never ever felt the need to spare her or go easy on her. He'd tried, in the beginning, but it hadn't taken Tenten long to get rid of that bad habit.

"Was that Naruto just now?" She inquired, curious. She had been distracted by her previous engagement with the girls, but she could have sworn she'd seen a blonde flash pass by her on the way to the training area - Naruto in Shintenshin mode? She'd seen him use it before. What puzzled her wasn't that Naruto had been there (this had been one of the places he used to perfect the Oodama, due to its remote location), but why he had been there during Neji's private training. There was little that irked Neji more than people disturbing his alone time - with a few notable exceptions, of course.

"What'd he want?" she continued when she received no answer. In the meantime, she dropped her pack at the base of one of the biggest trees and checked the clasps that held her most precious scrolls at her back.

"What else?" Neji replied, so lowly it was almost a growl. "Butting in, as always."

Tenten raised a brow. "You okay?" It wasn't like him to be so easily agitated by the likes of Naruto. Not unless the blonde had hit a nerve. And that hadn't happened in quite a while. Despite Naruto's excellent progress in the art of annoyance, Neji simply didn't have that many nerves to hit.

"I need to talk to you." The gravity in his tone was even more noticeable than usual and her imagination immediately went haywire. She'd hardly spoken a word to him and already displeased him? She was one hundred percent sure this would have something to do with...

She frowned at the thought, dismissing it. "Alright." When she looked up at him he was staring at her once again, stance rigid. Tenten briefly wondered what had caused him to develop this new habit. It unnerved her and excited her at the same time; this look was similar to the one she remembered _oh _so well and it had her instantly reliving the previous night. The words of Ino, Sakura and Hinata rang in her mind - they sounded so absurd now. Flirtation? Seduction?

She looked away to prevent a blush from rising and bringing uncomfortable questions along with it. Or at least, to prevent bringing up questions that were going to be even more uncomfortable than the ones he already seemed about to ask.

"So talk," Tenten voiced when he remained silent. His stiff posture was setting her on edge, making it harder for her to focus on what she should and shouldn't say. It didn't help that she'd seen conversations like these play out in her mind several times over during the small hours of the night, and several times over they had ended in a way that had her squirming - the good way. She continued when he remained still, reminding her of a statue. With his pale skin and chiseled features, she supposed the comparison wasn't far off the mark. "Have a seat, will you?"

He did, but very reluctantly and Tenten realised a big part of his motivation for it was to be better able to scrutinize her, like holding a book closer to your face will enable you to read the contents better.

"You wouldn't lie to me," Neji spoke. He didn't add a question mark, but the intonation and years of figuring this man out made her understand he was asking, not telling. And it was most likely the strangest question he'd ever asked her.

Tenten didn't quite know when she'd been pushed into a defensive position, but she sure felt cornered now. The cold fire in his pale eyes made her feel as though she was in a courtroom and the fate of the accused depended on her testimony. Strangely she was not only the accused, but also both victim and witness. "Not in theory," she replied. It was the truth - never had she intentionally kept something from Neji that he ought to know, and never in her life had she told a lie to his face. But she had to admit - while there was a difference between lying and _not telling, _she couldn't with a straigth face deny committing the second crime. She deliberately kept her eyes turned away from him

"And in reality?" Neji requested quietly, but she knew she did not need to reply. He had already gotten all the response he required from her when she answered his first 'question' in such an evasive manner. Tenten made an attempt to analyze his expression, but it was one she had never seen him wear before. A mixture of disbelief, rebellion and a strange kind of victorious determination. Had she confirmed a theory of his without being aware of it?

"Why do you ask?" she asked after a minute of silence.

One corner of his mouth curled up into the most delicious half-smile, as though he was entertaining some provate joke. She managed not to shiver at the expression. "Something Hinata-sama said," he murmured, almost to himself rather than to her.

"Ah." She couldn't help but wonder, and Tenten made a little mental note to ask Hinata about this first chance she got. "Is it important?"

That half-smile again, crazily attractive on a level that no smile should be allowed to reach. "Yes. Yes, I believe it is."

"Just so we're clear," she began, immediately doubting her words, "what kind of lies are we talking about?"

"Don't you know?" He narrowed his eyes the slightest tad, studying her intently.

Could she afford to be a little more obvious? It wouldn't take much to make him _see,_ but did she dare? The conversation she'd had with her girlfriends in the teashop earlier floated to the surface of her thoughts and made the decision for her.

"What if I do?" she whispered in reply, deliberately seeking out his gaze. That intense quality she'd seen in his eyes several times before grew even deeoer in that instant, and Tenten experienced the strange sensation that while it was hard not to divert her eyes, it would be harder still to look away.

The silence after her words lasted for five heartbeats. "Then this conversation is far from over," Neji answered before breaking the connection and moving back to the middle of their training area where he sunk into his opening stance for a spar. Tenten sucked in a deep breath before joining him. He was right - while they would let it rest for now, the end of that conversation wasn't even visible on the horizon yet. The prospect both unnerved and exited her.

This time, there was no keeping the shiver at bay.

***

**Yay for underneath the underneath! Reviews, my sweets? (L)**


	9. Are you?

**_Author's Notes:_** 7 reviews last chapter! Now there's a record. Thank you so much, sweeties! Special thanks to _WinterVines, KNO, Fake Bliss, Afictionado, Neguru Sucashi, AnimeFreak218 _and _Deyanira-chan. _

This is without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever written, by far. Took me ages, and I hope with all my heart that the difficulty I had with it doesn't show... It's so hard to make Neji realise things this way, 'cause the way I always imagine him is as someone who is so perceptive he knows quite nearly everything - which is why I've never written, say, surprised!Neji or shocked!Neji. It's hard to believe such a persona would exist...

Anyways, getting off track. This chapter could alternatively be called 'The arrival of common sense,' because that's what it is. Partially, at least. I hope I can fulfill any expectations you might have had of this chapter - I'm feeling strangely inadequate today. I need a Nejihug.

"Neeeeeejiiiii?"

*runs off to search in vain*

**_Disclaimer: _** Nope, duh. NejiTen would be all over the place, fo'sho.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o9. ****_"Are you?"_**

***

Neji had lost count over the years of how many times he'd sought refuge in his favourite dojo - it was the one place he knew no one would disturb him unless the need was truly dire, and after the loss of his father he'd spent many a night curled up in the middle of the tatami, distinctly not-crying the way only a Hyuuga could.

His motivations today where luckily somewhat different, although he didn't quite know how lucky he was supposed to feel at the moment, with newly attained knowledge clamouring for attention in the back of his mind. He needed to _think. _And to think, he needed to be alone. Something akin to relief stirred in his chest when he came upon the dojo at last, tucked away against the far side of his family's compound. The distance between it and the main hall was an odd comfort.

He slipped inside quietly, shutting the door behind him. Usually he preferred to have it open and to provide him with a fresh, cool breeze while he trained, even in winter, but today he felt as though the added physical barrier was something he needed.

His thoughts had gone rather haywire, tumbling over one another and constricting into knots that, if they were real, he knew he'd need Byakugan to untangle. He sat himself down in the exact center of the room and attacked the tumbleweed, picking over the confrontation between him and Tenten earlier - because a confrontation it had been, if one masked and veiled.

She'd seemed willing enough to give him the answers he asked for and had answered truthfully, but he couldn't deny that while her words had been honest, they had also been evasive. There was after all an elaborate greyscale to be found between lying and telling the truth. All diplomatic missions he had ever been on had taught him as much. What bothered him was that he couldn't determine which end of the spectrum Tenten had been closer to.

It was all too vague to provide him with any real facts, any real conclusions that he could base further action upon. He picked at another strand of thought.

The latter part of their conversation had made clear to him that they both knew exactly what he had asked of her. Even if Tenten might be left in the dark about _why_ he had done so, she had understood perfectly what he was asking of her, had confirmed herself that she knew. And she had evaded the brunt of it. Tenten did not evade. Both in battle and in life, it wasn't something she liked to do and he doubted she would have bothered unless it was important - important enough to risk his suspicion, because Tenten knew him well enough to know he'd see right through.

Neji wasn't sure if he was more decided on the reason behind his inquiries than she was. For now he would lay the blame with curiosity.

Things had grown even more curious during the spar they'd engaged in. He wasn't sure whom had changed, but something was different. It was a little as though he'd pulled a secret lever or removed the cornerstone of her composure by asking her the questions he'd asked, and now she slipped up left and right - and he wasn't referring to slip-ups in her technique by any means. He ran through the motions in his head, the list he had hastily compiled. A glance here and there when it wasn't needed, a glint of some unnamed emotion in her eyes when he met her strike, gone before he could make sure he had seen it. The mere improbability of it all almost made him dismiss it. And just the faintest swipe of a blush across her cheekbones when he met her gaze and held it. He would have blamed it on the exertion from their fight, if she hadn't looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

He was under no illusions as to her willingness to let anything show - if the earlier confrontation hadn't worn away at her defenses, he doubted there would have been anything to see. Or maybe he'd simply been blind enough not to notice before?

He still couldn't quite lay his finger on the exact nature of the issue, but that wan't the point. There was _something. _It was there, and he was going to find out what it was.

The irony struck him then - this was exactly the same place and position he'd been in when Hinata came to him to discuss the exact same matters he was now discussing with himself. Back then, he had dismissed her without a second thought. Neji was reminded of the words he'd exchanged with Naruto earlier that day. He'd remarked resolutely that Tenten was _not _interested, certainly not in that way, and Naruto had turned the question around and mercilessly targeted Neji instead.

_"Are you?" _

He hadn't had a response then, but he did now.

Yes, he was interested.

***

**Yay for underneath the underneath! (again :p ) Reviews, my lovelies? Thanks for reading! (L)**


	10. Because I said so

**_Author's Notes:_** Heya guys. So, little update on me… I've been pretty sick for the past week and a half. As in, in all of last week I ate three slices of toast and a sliced up apple - that's it. Just comes right back up. I'm always like this during January - it's like my immune system goes off galivanting to some sunny place and leaves me feeling sick and gross until spring. Somehow I managed to catch the stomach flu and a pretty heavy case of pharyngitis at the same time. So yeah. I can't eat, I can't talk and I can't sleep, but I can still write! Yay!

Sorry if I'm lacking some of my usual spunk. It's hard to be spunky when you've got a 102.8 F fever and are still trying to study for upcoming midterms.

Anyways, on another note… 11 reviews on the last chapter, that's got to be something of a record. *goes and check* It is! Champagne on me! Wait, no champagne on me, 'cause I'm kind of broke and I need to be saving serious money to buy my boyfriend the birthday present I know he wants but he won't ask for 'cause he thinks it's too expensive. :p Also, champagne and meds? Nono. Thank you sooooooooooo much everyone who reviewed, especially my favs! You know who you are. ;)

Sit back and enjoy, chums. Don't forget to leave me your thoughts! You know how much I appreciate it when people take the time to tell me personally that they like what I'm writing, it's the best feeling in the world. So make my day, please? :D

P.S.: Some of you have asked me if there will be any Lee in this story. Well, here he is! There'll be more towards the end, too.

P.P.S.: Yay for insanely long author's notes! :D Don't let me keep you, dears. I don't know how much more PSs I'll need to stop rambling, so feel free to skip ahead. I wouldn't hold it against you - in fact, I'd probably do the same.

P.P.P.S.: I've been sort of out of touch with the anime and manga for a while since I like to let episodes build up so that I can watch a whole bunch in one sitting, so for the past two months or so I've been preoccupying myself with fanfiction. So right before I got sick I sat down one day and watched all the anime episodes that I'd saved up, and I'd just like to say one thing:

", Sasuke!!!!!!!!!!"

_How __stupid _can you get?

P.P.P.P.S.: So sorry about this, but I've just had a revelation! Yay! You won't find out about the revelation until three or so chapters and you'll probably hate me for it, but it'll make the story so much better! This is like the answer I've been looking for! Alright, shut up Suse. No one is reading this far into the notes anyway. *smacks head*

**_Disclaimer: _** *checks Wikipedia entry on Naruto* Nope, my name still isn't there, which must mean I still don't own Naruto. Sadly.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o1o. "Because _I said so._****"**

***

'_These guys…' _Tenten shook her head in silent desperation, hands on her hips. What had she ever gotten herself into, promising Hinata they'd be there? Especially since they'd had a training session scheduled right before the party. Somehow she had figured they would be able to make it - she hadn't taken into account the fact that when Neji and Lee got going, it would take a little more than all the yelling and pleading she could muster to make them stop the fight prematurely and settle for a tie.

A _tie? _Like such a thing existed in their world.

She framed her mouth with her hands and tried again. "Can we just go, guys, _please?_"

Was she such a fool for expecting them to have pummeled themselves into the ground and come up with a victor by the time she got changed for the party and made her way back to them?

"Neji, my eternal rival, that was truly a youthful hit! If I cannot sneak up on you in the next two minutes, twenty laps around snowy Konoha!"

Yes, apparently so.

Naruto and Hinata were celebrating their one year anniversairy that night at their favourite hangout and Tenten knew all of their friends were going to be there. It was just what she needed - a little social distraction, a venue to go to where she could hide amongst the crowd and not feel terrorised - haunted even - by Neji's overly observant gaze the whole time.

When had she become a follower of escapism? She wasn't usually one to avoid confrontation - confrontation was what her combat style was all about. Hadn't she been on Neji's team long enough to build up a sufficient emotional barrier to cope with any rejection he might have in store for her?

She knew that once he wrapped his mind around the idea of her affections for him, rejection wasn't far off. And putting it off might not be a solution, but for now it was the way to go that brought her the least hurt. So she would avoid confrontation and live in doubt a little while longer.

Tenten shook her head to clear it and shot another pointed glare in Neji's direction. She'd learned over the years that she could usually blame him for any and all emotional turmoil she found herself in, and the last couple of days had been no different. First he flipped her world by staring at her like he was in love with her, then he drove her crazy by asking her all these half-questions about half-truths she'd hardly known existed, and then he caused her to be late for a party co-thrown by one of her best friends.

Oh no, she wasn't having it!

"LEE!"

It seemed that sheer rage was enough to make the forest-clad man hold his punches long enough to glance in her direction.

"Back _off_," she barked, marching across the field. She had justice and feminism on her side, damnit, and they were both coming _now_. Without getting a chance to switch clothes, too. '_Ha!' _

"If you don't come with me right now, I will personally see to it that you complete not twenty, but two hundred laps before midnight. While carrying Gai-sensei!" They had better not think these were empty threats, too. She happened to know that Gai was in town and on his way to the very party she'd been trying to get to for half an hour. It wouldn't take much to convince him to aid her.

"Tenten," Neji began, but Tenten whirled around and glared at him, interrupting him before he could continue.

"And you," she poked him in the chest for emphasis, "get to do four hundred."

"Tenten-"

She anticipated his question and held up a hand, shaking her head. He might be able to read her questions before she asked them and reassure or infuriate her before she even knew she needed reassurance or was on edge, but she could do that too. "Because _I said so_. Now, let's go!"

She folded her arms across her chest and watched in satisfaction as Lee started down the road ahead of her, the one that would lead them back into town and right towards the party venue. Sometimes all you needed was a little feminine touch, no?

"Tenten." Neji's voice shook her from her thoughts, the edge of amusement and mockery to it shaking her heart. Had he been standing that close to her a second ago? She got a clear view of his smirk as he passed by her. "I was going to say I liked your dress."

Was he ever not going to stun her daily?

Not likely.

***

**Hope you like! ;) A little comedic relief inbetween seriousness. (L) Reviews?**


	11. I told him you love him

**_Author's Notes:_**

** poetrylover97: **'cause your review for the last chapter was anonymous, I couldn't reply to you, so I thought I'd do it this way! Thank you so, so much for your very kind review! I'm glad you like it. I'm exactly the same as you, I have very high standards for fanfiction and often times I can't find quite what I'm looking for with a certain pairing - with NejiTen especially, since it's not as common as, say, SasuSaku (which is my number two :p ) so I just try to write it myself. ;) I hope you like this chapter just as much, and thanks again for your review, it means the world! :D

Anything else I need to say? Hmmm…. *thinks* I'm thinking of incorporating a little hinting of SasuSaku in one of the later chapters and then doing a short three/four chapter SasuSaku spin-off. Opinions? If enough of you are in favour I'll go through with it… Let me know in a review!

Anyways, all other reviewers (_Afictionado, Neguru Sucashi, WinterVines, KNO, SparkDazzleDuez) _and readers et cetera also the hugest of thanks to you guys, you rock my world. Hope you like this one as much as you all liked feminist!Tenten. :D My fave chapter is coming up in two or three, so stay tuned and of course as always don't forget to review! You know your words mean the absolute world to me. Enjoy!

P.S.: The dancing meme has come back to haunt me. :p If you've paid attention, this is usually a recurring theme in my work. *sigh* There's no escaping it!

P.P.S.: Some of you have asked me how old Neji and Tenten are in this fic… I'm actually not sure, but something ranging from seventeen to nineteen. Closer to seventeen actually. They'll be nineteen in my next NejiTen fic, _Aikouka. _

P.P.P.S.: Also, Kishimoto-sensei, if you're reading this… We. Want. More. ROMANCE. 'Cause, you know, I love your series, but you've got a lot of great gals there and a lot of mouthwatering young men, and some random hints towards possible attractions, but I WANT MOAR. The actual stuffs. 'Cause, you know, we've got fanfiction, but the real thing would be nice. Thanks in advance, sir.

P.P.P.P.S.: For those of you that worried about my being sick, I'm perfectly alright again. Still have a pretty bad cough but I'm feeling on top of the world again. :D *hugs* Thanks so much for your concern!

**_Disclaimer:_**Nope, no own no Naruto! Ne possédez pas Naruto! Ik bezit Naruto niet! Ich besitze Naruto nicht! That's all the languages I know! Exclamation mark! :D

***

_Tawakemono_

**o11. "I told him you love him."**

***

"Hinata? I need to talk to you," Tenten whispered as she caught the heiress' shoulder. All night she'd been trying to create a situation where Hinata was there and Neji was not - not an easily performed feat when one took into account Neji's tendancies to follow his cousin around, especially when he knew Naruto to be there as well. But she had managed, luckily; because they needed to have a conversation and they needed to have it in private.

Hinata blinked, concern instantly evident on her face. "Are you okay?"

Tenten shot another look around the room, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't see any tall, dark and handsome - except for Sasuke in the corner who was attempting to shadow Sakura. Correction: she couldn't spot _her _tall, dark and handsome. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied rapidly, then reconsidered. "Well- I don't really know. Just come with me for a second, alright?"

Nodding, Hinata followed her around the corner into the hallway, away from the flock of friends and family in the main room. As soon as they'd disappeared from sight, Tenten turned towards her friend and fired away.

"Neji is going crazy," she stated, the words he had spoken and moreover the words that his eyes had spoken roaming through her head. He really was. "And I know you said something to him. He told me that much, even though I don't think he really meant to. What happened? I've got to know."

After all, Neji himself had indicated that his questions several days ago had something to do with Hinata's words. She _had _to know what had been said, but she was rather torn up about what to feel. She needed to know what kind of stakes they were playing with, but on the other side she wasn't sure if she really wanted to hear what had taken place between the two. What if…

She could hardly think about it.

"Don't get mad," Hinata started off, pleading. Tenten gulped. That didn't sound too good.

"Hinata, please?" The suspense was killing her.

Hinata wrung her hands together nervously. Tenten was reminded of the way her friend had been when they were younger, and took a deep anxious breath.

"I…" A short pause followed in which Hinata seemed to search for an easier way to say what she was about to say, and seemingly found none, for she sighed and continued. She avoided Tenten's gaze. "I told him you love him."

Tenten felt as though someone had suddenly slapped her in the face - there was no pain, but the feeling of shock was the same. The silence fell like a heavy blanket over the both of them, blocking the cheers and the music coming from the next room. In fact, it wasn't only sound - every one of her senses felt strangely muted, as though her mind was too preoccupied to be bothered with them. It took several moments for the words to sink in and somehow it was only after Hinata nodded in confirmation at her incredulous stare that she began to realise what those words grouped together in that order really meant.

"Wha..?" It was the only word she could find to express the many questions; why, how, when, why?

Hinata struggled to speak, looking Tenten in the eye now. "It's just that he's as much of an idiot as Naruto-kun was when it comes to this, and I... I figured he needed a little push, and…" she trailed off.

"Hinata-chan!"

Tenten almost had a heart attack when Naruto appeared, slipping round the corner as inconspicuously as he could - which, considering Naruto's infamous colour palette, wasn't very inconspicuous at all. She watched, feeling rather embarrassed, as he kissed Hinata on the cheek. Naruto was a good man, Tenten knew that, but she wasn't sure if she wanted him to know her dirty, personal laundry and who knew how much he'd heard?

"I was missing you," Naruto hummed when he pulled away.

Hinata shook her head, but there was a slight smile on her face. "Liar."

"I was!" he huffed, slipping an arm around his girlfriend's waist. "We all are. Anyway, I came to suggest a change of subject." He directed the latter part at Tenten, tilting his head towards the doorway.

"What?" Tenten felt thoroughly confused and annoyed at herself - she wasn't one to be stunned and reduced to one-word sentences this easily.

Naruto produced a big white grin that consisted of equal parts 'It's going to be fine' and 'Please don't kill me'. "Yeah, err... I'm in on it too." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So unless you want Mr. Grump to listen in…"

Tenten glanced round the corner and spotted him instantly. It wasn't hard - Neji had a habit of standing out in crowds. She recoiled back into her hiding place, nodding at Naruto. "Thank you… Mr Grump, though?" she questioned, eyebrow raised.

"He's been grumping all night. Probably 'cause you keep disappearing."

Tenten found that for someone who was generally considered to be rather dense, Naruto was incredibly insightful. She leaned her head back against the cool wall and regarded the couple standing before her, expectant smiles on their faces. "He's going to murder me," she sighed. "He's going to murder me emotionally."

Hinata shook her head, an encouraging smile in place. "No, he's not."

Tenten frowned. "What makes you say that?"

But Hinata's gaze shifted to a poin behind her shoulder and Tenten knew what was coming before it came, steeling her nerves.

"Tenten?" He caught her shoulder gently and she turned around to face him; her feet felt like they were made out of concrete. Technically nothing had changed from ten minutes ago when she hadn't known, but in reality it felt as though the world had been spun upside down.

His eyes were like cold fire. "Just one dance," he spoke in that way that told her it was more a demand than a request. Tenten struggled to keep the vulnerability she felt from showing, but under a scrutiny that intense she wasn't sure if she succeeded.

She had slipped her hand into his before she'd even realised it. Somehow the thought of a dance with him was alluring enough to risk it.

"But no talking," she insisted. She wasn't sure what she'd blurt out if he started asking questions now - she needed to be in a semi-right mind for that impending confrontation.

Neji wasn't pleased, she could tell easily as he stared down at her. It was all he needed to get his point across - his point that she couldn't keep running forever, and besides running wasn't something that suited her at all.

"Please, Neji? Not tonight."

"Tomorrow," he suggested, catching her eye to see if she answered truthfully. Apparently, a concession from him would demand one from her in return.

"Tomorrow," she assented as she allowed him to tug her along to the dance floor, albeit reluctantly. He oriented himself to the music for a moment before catching her waist and setting out into the dance.

It didn't take long for her to surrender to the hurricane of feeling in her gut and draw him closer to her, laying her cheek against his shoulder. It wasn't as though they didn't both know she wanted to, and she'd be damned if she didn't at least enjoy this.

His hands on the small of her back and his luxurious hair slipping between her fingers as she wove them together behind his head felt like a blessing and a curse at the same time.

***

**Reviews, my darlings? ;) Hope you enjoyed it! (L)**


	12. Thank you

**_Author's Notes:_** I'll do this at the beginning of the notes before I forget: thanks so much to the reviewers! _WinterVines, CattyGothLoli, Neguru Sucashi, Pyrozia _and_ Shikazu-chan. _I love you guys so much. Cake to you. And of course cake to everyone else - but with less frosting. 'Cause, you know, you bailed on me before hitting that button. ;) Anyways, enjoy enjoy enjoy and I hope to hear what you guys think, you know your words make my days. Seriously. I do a dance for every single one, regardless of where I'm at.

This one is just a filler chappie, a little Neji to show you that he's in just as much emotional turmoil as Tenten-chan is. Yay, Troubled!Neji :D I felt that we needed a little Neji inbetween, especially since the next two chapters are from Tenten's point of view. Enjoy, sweethearts. (L)

Also, I did a little count in my head and if I don't add/scratch any future chapters (which is unlikely though) the total amount of chapters is going to be twenty-six - which means we're almost halfway. Time to talk about the future!

You guys know about _Sanso (Oxygen) _and I am working on that, but it's such an ambitious project (and we all know I'm not good with ambition and big stuffs) that I have no clue when it will be finished. Loving what I have so far though. There's this scene with Shrink!Naruto that is total win… The great thing about _Sanso_ is that I can have more Naruto in it than _Tawakemono _and _Koigokoro _had combined, since it's more of a team story with romance on the side - a big side. :p

I have also been making other plans, however.

First of all, _Tsuneni (Always), _which is the planned SasuSaku spin-off of this story. I decided to go through with that since most of you liked the idea. :D It'll be considerably shorter than this one, more like an overgrown oneshot than an actual multi-chapter, but I have a good feeling about it. I've always seen SasuSaku and NejiTen as sort of connected couples since Tenten and Sakura are alike in many ways and Neji and Sasuke are more than alike. I'm drawing quite heavily on that concept in _Tsuneni. _

And then my NejiTen shipping side has been catapulting me with ideas, so a story called _Aikouka (Lover) _is on its way. The thing I really like about that one is that it's a lot… I don't know, I guess the word would be intenser. It's going to be a lot intenser than _Tawakemono_. And yes, I do mean intense in the way that you think, the way chapter fourteen will be intense (you'll see about that in about a week). But less tense - 'cause I'm working with a slightly older version of Neji and Tenten that know better what they want and don't want and what they can afford. So that's _Aikouka. _

And hopefully my imagination won't get crazy until I get at least half of these done, 'cause multitasking and me don't really mix. I can be writing for two days straight, and then I can be not writing for weeks on end if I don't force myself. It's one or the other… Hopefully it'll be one continuously, but who knows? I know I don't.

Aaaanyways, kudos and cookies to you if you're still here and haven't skipped ahead yet. ;) I love author's notes! Like you hadn't noticed… Now you've got cookies _and _cake. ;D

**Disclaimer: **Do you _think _I own Naruto? (3 seconds of consideration time… 2… 1…) Yeah, you're right. I only wish.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o12. "Thank you."**

***

_Tomorrow, _she had agreed. Well, he would hold her to it.

Slowly revolving around the dancefloor, he recalled the look on her face when he'd asked her for a dance. She had never before been so blatantly open. Tenten was generally easy to read, but never this uncovered. He wondered briefly what the subject of the discussion between her and his cousin had been - with the pure shock on her face fresh in his mind, it wasn't hard to make an educated guess.

Part of him was pleased she had agreed, but another surprisingly strong side of him was ready to jump at and kill anyone who was responsible for making her look so vulnerable and uncertain - even if the offender was himself. A woman like Tenten should never have to look like that.

What kind of man did she take him for? He wasn't going to _hurt _her. Not more than he'd already done with his ignorance, at least. He just… needed to know. He needed answers about her feelings so that he could figure out the answers to the dozens of questions he had been asking himself about his own.

"Neji?"

Her eyes pulled him back into the present - it was the first time she'd looked him in the eye of her own accord since he'd found her.

"Thank you."

He was going to reply, but then his thoughts crashed to a sudden stop as Tenten's lips found his cheek, warm and soft. She was pulling away before the touch really registered, eyes closed. Her heartbeat was frantic, but the gentleness that lay in the corners of her mouth belied the fact - and Neji understood. Tenten was sure of what she felt and while she didn't have to like it, she wasn't ashamed of it. No matter how crazy, hopeless or dangerous it might turn out to be. She had always been like that.

Lost for words, Neji saw that he was jealous of her for it.

Tenten laid her head against his shoulder in an obvious attempt to avoid his reaction, distencing herself from him emotionally but bringing them closer at the same time. The move was as much a concession that she wanted to be nearer to him as it was an attempt at self-preservation. There was a rare brand of trust in the gesture, and he felt his heart constrict with strange masculine pride. Tenten was nothing if not brave.

He flexed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her fully against him, smirking secretly when she shivered. Over the course of the past several days, since their last conversation-confrontation, he had realized that he liked what he could do to her, liked the flush he could bring to her cheeks by hovering close to her. Neji frowned at himself.

The past hours of the party he had been centered solely on her, finding her, asking himself about her feelings… Now, he turned his sight inward and examined himself briefly. Did she have reason to be anxious?

Like this, with his arms and nose and head full of Tenten, he found that he honestly did not know.

***

***wink wink* You know what to do! I genuinely hoped you enjoyed this. :D**


	13. What are you waiting for?

**_Author's Notes:_ **Thank you so much for the positive feedback on numbah 12, all of you, it means the world to me. Cake to you all - and, WV? Batter bowl, like I promised. :D *hands bowl* Feel the love! Applicants for next chapter's batter bowl, leave note in your review.

Yes, that's a bribe. ;) Reviews are most welcome - you have no idea how incredible it feels to realize someone liked my words enough to press the button and tell me about it - or maybe you do, since this is a writing site. ;) One of the best feelings in the world, I tell you. So, err… Pweeze?

'Nyways… This chapter is sort of an attempt to raise the tension in preparation for the peak in chapter fourteen (I've been driving you guys crazy about that, I hope it doesn't disappoint). I hope I succeeded. It's a generally known fact among people here who've been with me for a while and friends who proofread my work that I _suck _at battle scenes, and while this doesn't exactly qualify as a battle as it is more a spar between friends, that doesn't make much of a difference.

I'm seriously scared you're all going to gag at this.

But you might be pleased at the length of it; almost three times a regular chapter, I think. Next one is huge too. I need the space with these 'cause there's a lot to convey. To those of you that always assure me my chapter length is perfect; I hope you don't mind! Quality over quantity, I guess. ;)

But anyways, here you go, tension is what we needed and this was the way to get it. We're nearing a turning point, you know.

On another note… This was written to the beat of 'Fight For This Love' by Cheryl Cole - for some reason it worked. Major brownie points. It's my current obsession song (I always have this one song I listen to religiously and then five days later it's a new one :p ). I always listen to music when I write to put my mind in a certain state of freefall, and usually there's a different song for every scene. I thought I'd tell you guys about that, maybe you find it interesting?

Or not. If so, here's a cookie to keep you happy. ;p

Have you noticed my sweet tooth fetish thing yet, darlings? ;)

'Nyways, won't keep you too long. Hope you enjoy and keep an eye out for the next one!

P.S.: You guys don't know this and I doubt any of you will be able to pick it out, but this chapter actually contains a HUGE hint to one of the biggest plot knots yet to come. ;) Speculations are welcome, they're so much fun to read. :p

**_Disclaimer: _ I am a girl which means I can't be Kishimoto-sensei which means I can't be the owner of Naruto, which is Kishimoto-sensei who is not a girl. Got it?**

***

_Tawakemono_

**o13. "What are you waiting for?"**

***

Tenten blew on her hands and chafed them together to warm them up, wrapping her arms around herself. It was freezing cold and the snow had begun to fall again, the storm gaining in momentum like a tidal wave. And yet, there was nothing that would drive her from this place.

She knew he was aware of her presence - he always was. But as long as he didn't turn to her and address her directly, she could pretend and enjoy the private show.

One part of Neji's strict training regimen was sparring against her and her arsenal - it was frustrating, but also incredibly rewarding if she landed a hit. Another part of his training, one he probably adhered to even more religiously, was sparring against himself. She never knew which she preferred. She couldn't participate in his private practice and it annoyed her somewhat not to be being fighting beside him, but on the other hand it meant she got a chance to sit back and watch him in motion - and it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

Something about Neji fighting his inner demons had always fascinated her. It was like a dance, his intricate footwork packing the snow where he stood into a thin layer of ice. Almost fifty percent of his routine was only flashes of black and white to her eyes, mixed with the signature sparks of blue chakra; starbursts of colour in a monochromatic world.

Tenten shifted against the tree she leant against. Its branches overhead somewhat guarded her from the snow, but Neji was taking the brink of the storm out in the middle of the clearing. Sometimes when he made a particularly violent spin or twist, it was almost as though he was trying to fight off the storm itself. She observed, quietly, revelling in the moment.

The sense of calm within her was something she hadn't expected. She'd thought seeing him again would make her more nervous after all that had been said over the course of the last couple of days, after the concession she had made the night before... But she had slept well for the first time in weeks. Maybe because some of the suspense had lessened - he would confront her, and she would tell him. Today. Somehow it was easier to come to terms with the facts once they had pinned a date. She would not freak out, and she'd be just fine. That night she had decided that honesty was the way to go, and Tenten was determined to stick with that decision. Neji had done nothing to deserve anything less - and this involved him too.

It took longer than usual for Neji to wind down, and she noted with slight exasperation that as he spun to a halt after his last Kaiten that it took him only moments to even out his breathing. Tenten smirked confidently. Well, she'd just have to change that.

"Fight me," he called out.

Tenten knew what was coming; when Neji summoned her, she'd already flicked open the plain pouch at her hip. She was only too happy to oblige. He turned around the moment she pushed herself from the tree, instantly tensing into his opening stance. She clenched her teeth together as she advanced, stepping into the storm. Something about his rigidity had awakened a certain fighting spirit within her. Being in love didn't mean she was weak and that he now knew it certainly didn't mean she was going to stop trying to kick his ass. If he expected her to be embarrassed about her feelings, she vowed, he would have another thing coming.

"What are you waiting for?" she answered, tugging a small blade from the pouch. Being a short distance fighter, the only chance Neji ever had to strike her was to get close. Because of that, Neji was almost always the first to charge to prevent her from putting distance between them with her scrolls. It was the usual today, Neji coming at her so fast she could barely see his feet move, and then she was warding off those painful jabs of special chakra with her kunai and every available limb. The first hit occurred as she spun to duck underneath his right arm. The left got a direct hit on her thigh, and then she was stumbling back, resisting the urge to clutch at her leg. It was a hit delivered with the intention of hurting her. He took advantage of her stumble instantly and swept around her, a featherlight touch of his fingertips brushing across her right shoulder - and then, she felt her chakra run aground. She'd lost use of the limb.

He was vicious today. Neji always went into their spars with a vigour, just as she did, but he didn't usually strike at her this early in the match. Usually, he gave her more opportunities to come at him in order to present himself with a challenge. It usually annoyed her to no end and made her feel as though he wasn't taking her seriously, but now she wasn't sure which she preferred.

Tenten bit back the pain in her thigh and flipped the kunai in her left hand from defense to offense, thus compensating for the obstruction in her shoulder. She knew it wouldn't last; as always, Neji would release her chakra at the end of the day. No matter how badly he had hurt her, he would fix it. It was a matter of holding out and fighting through. He gave her a second to rebalance her stance, but less time to recover than usual.

"What are _you _waiting for," he bit back, taunting.

Another flurry of hits and parries ensued, and this time Tenten didn't let him lay his hands on her. Over the years she'd managed to memorize his usual katas and it usually helped her get through these kinds of attacks unscathed. He could anticipate her every move with his Byakugan, but she could do the same to a certain extent. She'd been his sparring partner long enough. When they fought side by side in battle it took her no effort at all to work with and around him like a well-oiled machine, the two of them moving as one and never hindering one another. It was a matter of applying that knowledge to the practice of actively avoiding his hits when he was targeting her instead of their joint enemies.

Hard, but not impossible - until he decided to deviate from his usual attack pattern and go all out; then it was hard to even keep her head above water. Especially what with her current limited mobility. Years of fighting Neji had taught her one glance away from his form was all he needed to wrap up the fight and have you unable to move. Therefore she didn't dare glance at her surroundings, but it was obvious that while he wasn't landing any hits she was losing ground fast.

Suddenly she found herself face to face with him, the glint of the kunai she used to parry his swipe reflected in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and for the briefest moment she forgot to exhale. There was something there, in his stance, in the crook of his lips. She realized in a flash - his question hadn't been about fighting. And neither had hers, for that matter. And he _knew it. _The space between them positively sizzled - was it possible for air to fry? It sure felt like it.

_What was with him?_

She slashed at his face with her kunai and made three backflips during the time it bought her, desperate to put some space to think in between them. In spite of his best efforts to get rid of the reflex, Neji still cringed inward almost frightened when someone made a move for his face - or more specifically, his eyes. It was a low blow, but Tenten wasn't below using underhanded tactics to beat him. What with the advantage Neji's Byakugan gave him, she needed every help she could get to even out the odds.

Tenten allowed herself a smirk. After her flips and the way he'd reared back, she'd almost found her way back to the tree line, and that bought her a sufficient amount of time to get her hands on more favoritable equipment. Neji didn't bother to charge at her again, knowing he would not make it to her before she unwound her scrolls. Closing in on her would only bring him more within her range. Instead, he dug his left foot into the earth vertically, preparing his body for his signature spin.

Reaching to her back she unclasped the ties holding her favourite scroll, revelling in the look on his face. Neji's ultimate defense was just that; ultimate, due to the spinning that prevented her from hitting even his blind spot. But it was not infinite, and they both knew that the amount of weapons contained in this particular scroll was absolutely immense. They both knew the barrage lasted a long, long time. Long enough to give the time span that Neji could spend in Kaiten a serious run for its money. Timing was everything.

She slid a bloody thumb across the paper as she unfolded it, pivoting on her body's axis to achieve the desired spiral of paper surrounding her. A tensing of muscles, a crouch, and then she was flying in the snowstorm, cold air chilling her lungs, going through the seals so fast she herself couldn't quite believe that her fingers didn't get stuck amongst one another. One big advantage of training with Neji; she'd never had a choice but to get faster and faster at everything she did as fast as she could, and it paid off now.

Neji mirrored her spin and disappeared behind a spherical blue shroud. The clearing filled itself with the buzzing of his chakra, so concentrated she could barely see through the haze, and the whizzing and clattering of her weapons as they headed for Neji and were deflected in wayward directions. For a long time, that was all that existed in their world; a spinning and spiralling within paper and chakra, and the rain of steel mixing with the snow.

By the time she ran out of sharp objects to vault at him, the snowfall had gotten so thick she could hardly even see if he was still standing upright or not. Tenten moved in, guarding her torso and face with a kunai held ready. He was at the advantage here, vision unimpaired by the weather. She found her opponent in the middle of their battlefield, breathing hard as he pulled one of her razor-sharp needles out of his flesh and flung it to the side. It was the only hit she'd landed on him, the last one she had fired as his defense slowly expelled. Ironically, the location of his wound mirrored where he had struck her in the beginning.

Tenten couldn't help but grin. Even if it was one hit versus two, she'd consider this a victory - if the needle had been poisoned, which it would have been were they out of town, he'd have hit the ground by now in anaphylactic shock.

She felt exhausted; fighting Neji (one of the most skilled opponents she'd ever faced) and the weather at the same time had worn her out good. That technique had taken a lot out of her. It always did, which was why she usually saved it as a last resort. And the lack of perfection in his stance told her he was feeling quite the same. She studied him, the weary fatigue in the lines of his back and shoulders and the fact that he had dispelled the Byakugan. Something about seeing him after a fight like this always got to her, and Tenten didn't bother to fight back the smile, looking into his pale eyes.

"Tie?" she suggested. Neji remained perfectly silent. Normally he would have argued, but then there were more important things to get around to today. And in that instant she understood what had been with the attitude, the harsher-than-usual aspect of his hits and near-hits and his inability to relent.

He had been trying to tell her he would not think - or _expect _- any less of her, no matter what happened.

She felt her heart melt a little. It might be only a small gesture but coming from Neji and considering the kind of situation they were in, it meant everything. "Oh," she breathed softly. His eyes still nailed her to the spot, raking across her face.

"Turn around," he commanded. She rolled her eyes and humored him, turning her shoulder towards him. The pain in her thigh would fade as the hours passed - the lack of pain or any feeling for that matter in her shoulder could become a problem if he did not fix it within several hours.

She clenched her eyes shut when he found the spot, hand slipping underneath her collar from the back to curve around the base of her neck on the right. It was almost impossible to stop herself from audibly sucking in a breath. How could she be so hypersensitive to his presence in a mere instant when the only part of her he was touching was the part of her that was completely numb? It didn't make sense. The power he held over her and the magnitude of her attraction for him almost scared her - they would have, if she hadn't had years to get used to the idea.

Slowly warmth and feeling seeped back into the limb as he worked around and through the obstruction - her skin tingled like mad, and she guessed only about twenty percent of it had to do with the feeling returning. She knew the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up straight, and somehow she _knew _he had noticed. It could have been her imagination, but Tenten could have sworn it took him almost a minute to pull away after the feeling had returned to even her finger tips.

It took more courage than she would care to admit to turn around and face him, feeling as affected as she was.

"Let's go sit out the storm, alright?" she suggested. The intensity of his eyes when he nodded almost undid her and it was a moment before she could remember how to move her feet towards her apartment.

***

**Yay! Reviews? You know I love you. :D *hug***


	14. Do you love me?

**_Author's Notes: _**This is my absolute favourite chapter so far, and my second favourite chapter of the whole story. The past couple of chapters I've been trying to build a certain tension which can lead to greater things, trying to create a heat between Neji and Tenten… This chapter, we're seriously cranking that heat _up. _

This has been written since before chapter one, just waiting for me to get 10 through 13 done, which took an age and then some... I won't keep you any longer, just want to say thank you so much to all those who reviewed the last chapter, who favourited, story alerted, new readers and old, et cetera… I'd never be writing if it weren't for you. I give you chapter fourteen! Don't forget to rock my world by leaving a review, and enjoy. ;)

P.S.: This is where the regular author's notes end and the post scripts begin. ;) Just wanted to tell you guys some more stuff. This was written with a couple of songs as inspiration. First of all 'Rainbow Veins', 'Vanilla Twilight' and 'Fireflies' by Owl City - it doesn't really show, but then those songs aren't very connected to this chapter in particular, but more connected to the practice of writing in general. I always listen to Owl City when I start a chapter - it puts my mind in a sort of 'loose' state that allows the creative juices to really flow. I'm weird like that.

The songs for this chapter in particular are both by Nikki, a Dutch artist (she sings in English, don't worry). If you're interested, they're on Youtube. 'How to break a heart' and 'Bring me down' - especially the last was used for the last couple of paragraphs. Also, 'Fight For This Love' by Cheryl Cole. Awesome song. :D

*hug* Alright, go off and read, enjoy, review, fawn, you know the drill. (L) You know I love you. ;)

**_Disclaimer: _**Why, world, why? What did I ever do to not deserve owning Naruto? I'm pretty sure I haven't gotten on your bad side. Cut me some slack, will you?

***

P.P.S.: Oh yeah, and eh… Girls? Think of this while you're reading. ;) qinni(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Neji-76328526

***

_Tawakemono_

**o14. "Do you love me?"**

***

Half an hour later found them both relatively dry and warm in the comfort of her tiny kitchen. Tenten had her hair down in wet strands, cascading about her shoulders - she'd taken a quick shower. Now she sat atop her kitchen counter and clutched the most welcome mug of hot chocolate she'd ever held in her life. Neji had taken a seat at the table - his own mug stood steaming in front of him. She'd left the lights off. The full moon illuminated her kitchen well enough, casting a big silver square on the floor - it only served to remind her of Neji's eyes.

Tenten had hardly looked at him since they entered her apartment. Part of that had to do with how she remembered perfectly the promise she had made the day before - she knew he hadn't forgotten and wasn't planning on letting it slide - and part of it had to do with the fact that Neji had taken his drenched shirt off. He stood out and blended in with her kitchen in ways she felt perhaps she shouldn't dwell on too much - she'd blush if she did.

"Want me to bandage that?" she asked, motioning her head towards the spot of blood on the fabric covering his thigh.

"It's nothing."

She nodded to herself. '_Okay then.' _

"Tenten?"

She blew on her drink, staring at the wall over his head without seeing anything. "Hmm?"

"It's hardly even 'tomorrow' anymore."

Tenten glanced to the side at the clock and found that he was right - midnight was less than an hour away. She took a sip of too-hot chocolate to put off answering for just another second, burning her tongue. Then she rested the mug on the counter and released it - in a way it had been the last barrier she had.

The silence hung in her small kitchen like a tangible entity, pushing against them and struggling to escape.

"Then ask," she murmured. She wrapped her arms around her knees and laced her fingers together, staring dead ahead instead of down into his eyes. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to do that again.

"Do you love me?" He spoke as he rose from his seat. It came to her mind that this was the first time in a long time - maybe ever - that he had asked her an actual question. His voice was barely a whisper, and yet the words resonated through her body and soul as though she was a chord that he had struck. The word 'love' had never sounded more beautiful than when he said it - it didn't take much imagination to conceive how it would feel if he ever confessed to her.

It was her turn to speak now, wasn't it? Somewhere in the process her kitchen had shrunk down to where it felt as though the walls were ganging up on her on three sides, causing the gap between herself and Neji shrink. Like she needed the added tension of closer physical proximity. Had she ever felt more vulnerable? She was about to get up and leave, gather her wits, but then she made the mistake of glancing up into his face, those eyes.

Tenten vividly remebered the first time she saw him by night - it was the strangest thing, and over time the impact of it had lessened none. The monochromatic colour palette of Neji was beautiful during the daytime, but when the night turned him into a dark shadow with endless moons for eyes, it was as though someone cranked up the attraction she felt for him times infinity.

"Yes." With that, she sealed her fate. She had promised. It was time for clarity, and she was anything but a coward. She held his gaze.

His brow furrowed. "Why?"

Tenten blinked at that. The unanticipated question threw her off guard, and then came the problem of what to say. Did she even know? She couldn't help but chuckle quietly, gently. "If I knew that, Neji… Look, you're an acquired taste, that's for sure, and you're not easy to be in love with." She blew some loose strands from her face, exasperation somewhat replacing the tension in her. She was good and lost now - nothing to do but go with it. "But I managed anyway."

"Tell me how long." There was a pleading undertone to his voice - it was the one question that could truly reveal the depth of her affection. Tenten was half-tempted to tell him to mind his own business, but had he done anything to deserve as much? "Tenten?"

"Two years. And a half," she replied truthfully. It was rather impossible to lie to him when he was looking into her soul like that - and besides, secrecy had rather lost its appeal by now. They both knew that. She considered for a moment and then specified her confession. "Well, that's when I started to understand. So in reality it's probably been a bit longer than that."

If she hadn't been frozen from head to toe by her own stupidity in being so horribly candid, she would've hit herself. Or perhaps pinched her arm to see if maybe, just maybe, she would get lucky and wake up and this would turn out to be just a really bad dream and not the end of the world.

There was something akin to anger in his eyes. He was angry at himself, she was amazed to find out as realization dawned. Angry that he had not seen.

"That's insane."

Did he just insult her feelings? She raised her eyebrows in surprise, hopping down from the counter and crossing her arms across her chest. "Well, thanks. It's not a _choice, _Neji," she huffed.

The silence wrung itself back into the room.

Yes, she felt cornered and exposed and uncomfortable, but at least she had known just what was coming for a long time now. Neji on the other hand looked as though he'd had absolutely no idea of the scope of things. At least from now on she could truthfully say she'd seen Hyuuga Neji at a loss for words - had made him be at a loss.

She wasn't sure what to say as well.

"Look, two things." Tenten struggled for a moment under his heavy gaze, shifting the words around until they sounded right. These were after all the most important things she'd ever asked him. The moonlight peaking through her windows hit his face in a gorgeous way and made it hard to look at him, but she pushed through. Somehow these were things that needed to be said eye-to-eye.

"Only difference is that now two out of two know. This doesn't change anything, unless you want it to. It's up to you. The cards are all in your hands now." There, she'd said it. Now he could deal with the worrying about what to do - friendships, relationships, risks, et cetera. She'd beaten herself up over that quite enough.

The second item on her quickly compiled mental list was something a lot more personal, and something she would never have been willing to admit she needed if not for the intimacy that hung in the room like a shroud, the link of feeling that seemed to have formed between their minds and the haze of twilight outside .

"Just… So that I have _something_ in case you decide that nothing has to change, that you don't want it to… Could you kiss me?"

She had never felt more vulnerable than when she answered his first question with yes, until now. She refused to stoop so low as to say please, but the word was spelled out in her eyes and they both knew it. Tenten could've cut slices out of the air with a kunai.

She would never know what caused him to make up his mind and _why_, but she could pinpoint the exact moment he made his decision. His eyes changed, darkened that instant, his gaze morphed into that wonderful look that had started the whole entire thing weeks ago, the one that told her that exactly the same thing was on both their minds and they both wanted it. Suddenly he was closer than he'd been all night - she stepped back in surprise.

Tenten gasped from the shock of cold that coursed through her when her back hit the fridge. It conflicted strangely but rather wonderfully with the heat pooling in her stomach.

She laid her head back against the cool surface of the fridge and one of his hands followed as though it was meant to, settling around the curve of her jaw like the mold to the casting. Neji's other hand braced against the fridge, fingers taut as he took another step towards her, their chests brushing. His eyes were the most beautiful she'd ever seen them, disks of moonlight framed by the narrow shadows trapped between them. Tenten was absolutely sure he could hear her heart hammering an erratic staccato, frantic with emotions sizzling every which way.

He held back less than an inch from her lips, giving her mind time to perform thirty backflips in a third of a second in an attempt to wrap her thoughts around the fact that this was really happening. She smiled at him in encouragement and inhaled deeply to calm her nerves, nodded almost imperceptibly.

The moment between not-kissing and kissing froze in time, and then the world fast forwarded until she could feel his mouth on hers and realised her hands were slipping up from his biceps to curl in his endless hair desperately. As he fused their lips together, gently but firmly with a hint of urgency, she lost it. Somewhere she was aware that she was clutching him to her like a madwoman, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her thoughts went straight into repeat, like a broken record, and then crashed entirely as he went deeper.

She marvelled at the feel of him, his broad shoulders, the way his lips and their actions had short circuited her thoughts. Neji's dark hair draped over his shoulders and brushed across the edge of her cami as he loomed over her - she couldn't suppress the shivers. His fingertips burned scars into her cheek, his lips branded hers.

It felt as though she was drowning, flying and burning to ashes at the same time. She wasn't sure if her imagination was just lacking or if he was simply that good, but either way it was nothing like what she'd imagined for over two years.

It was better.

_Much_ better.

And it slipped through her fingers far too fast - a knock to her door cut clean and straight through their shared atmosphere and brought her crashing painfully fast back down to earth, heart skipping.

Neji ripped his lips from hers at the sound and dropped his forehead against the fridge, so close to her she felt his warm pants on her ear as he made an effort to regain his breath. The separation almost hurt physically, her chest tightening. She turned her face towards him and quietly took in his closed eyes, his pale cheeks with just the slightest flush and his bare chest, settling down gradually.

Then he was gone, into the hallway, and she heard the crack of the door as he answered it.

Tenten breathed in deep - one of the first breaths in what seemed like forever that she hadn't shared with Neji, bracing a hand against the wall - the first surface she had touched in what seemed like forever that wasn't _Neji. _She tuned out the muted voices in the hallway, clenched her eyes shut and shoved her knuckles into her mouth, biting down.

What silly, _completely_ deluded part of her had thought this would give her any type of closure?

***

**Why yes, I _am _the devil.**

**Don't that warrant a review? ;D Love you guys!**


	15. I don't know what got into him

**_Author's Notes:_** Alrighty, another chapter! It's a shorty but I figured you deserve a chapter. You've been all patient with me and everything, and I really appreciate it so here's some reading material for you guys. A small warning; this week is the week I have to turn in my term paper (which is a huge deal this year) so I'm kind of busier than I've ever been in my life, and more importantly, from this point on I have only a vague storyline and nothing set in stone, so it might be a while before I can get chapter sixteen to you guys since truthfully... *whispers* I have no idea what will happen yet! Well, an idea, of course, but... It's _very_ vague.

Anyways, thanks for the awesomest reviews in the realm of awesome for chapter fourteen! You guys rock my world the way Neji rocks Tenten's. :D Special hugs to WV and Pyrozia - me loves you. Also, tarte tartin to everyone! (No, seriously - I baked a tarte tartin with my niece this afternoon. It was seriously the best thing I've ever tasted.)

*hug* Alright, go do your thing. ;) Please leave me a review if you've got the time - reading the words you guys leave me honestly always makes my day. I promise you I'll do a happy dance when I see your review, no matter where I am! So if you want me to embarrass myself, you know what you've got to do. ;) (L) You know I love you. ;)

**_Disclaimer: _**I'm not even Japanese. ;)

***

_Tawakemono_

**o15. "I don't know what got into him."**

***

"Who was it?" the girls demanded in unison, Ino banging a fist on the table for added emphasis.

"The idiot next door, wondering if I was having problems with central heating as well. Poor guy, I imagine Neji gave him quite a scare," Tenten sighed. "He left right after." She didn't need to explain to them that she was referring to Neji just then, not her neighbour. She rolled her eyes at the irony of it - heating issues? If anything, she'd been overheated.

"Damn," Ino sighed wistfully, propping her chin up on one hand. "Still, that's more than I would've bet he'd be willing to give."

Tenten chuckled. "Well, yeah. It was more than even I would have bet he'd be willing to give. I don't know what got into him." She'd just finished relaying the tale of the previous day and the reaction of the girls could be described as appropriately stunned.

"Neji-nii-san did look rather off this morning," Hinata confessed, smiling. "I was wondering what was up with that."

"Tenten rocked his world," Ino grinned shamelessly.

Tenten blinked in surprise at the expression and then almost groaned, shaking her head to get rid of the traitorous thoughts buzzing about. Before the moonlight incident, as she'd come to call it, Neji usually only haunted her dreams. Ever since, though, he'd been everywhere even when she was awake as could be. And what was more, those past dreams blanched in comparison to what her mind conjured up now that she had gotten a taste of the real thing and had it slip through her fingers, leaving her filled to the brim with longing…

"Asking straight out like that? That was brave, Tenten," Sakura pointed out, emerald eyes flashing. "Could I borrow some of that?"

"It was stupidity, not bravery, and all it did was get my head messed up even further," Tenten replied, sipping her cinnamon tea. She sighed softly. She'd had zero minutes of sleep the night before and her mood really wasn't up to par. But talking to the girls had helped - like it always did. Somehow it put things into perspective and helped her file experiences in the right drawer. The moonlight incident? Big deal, yes, but nothing she couldn't get over if things with Neji didn't progress further.

She hoped.

"But messed up the good way," Ino winked suggestively.

Sakura poked her in the side, elicting a squeal. "What did I say about those gutters, Ino-pig?"

Ino huffed quietly. "Oh hell, like you weren't thinking the same thing. Moving on," she announced dismissively, "haven't you guys got a big mission coming up?"

Tenten winced mentally. Yeah, like she needed a reminder of the upcoming bane of her existence; Neji 24/7, longing for the man sleeping not a foot away from her driving her crazy, along with speeches from the two Green Beasts of Konoha about how her youth was out of it. Well, she would just have to deal with it, wouldn't she? Deal with it, and hold on to hope. After all, until they were interrupted Neji had been just as willingly participating in that kiss as she was - Tenten could swear her lips tingled just thinking about it.

"It's just border control, Ino, but yeah. You know the Hokage has been postponing missions because someone bribed her into keeping our generation in town for the anniversary party of him and his girlfriend," she pointed out with a smile.

Beside Tenten, Hinata blushed and cleared her throat.

***

**You know what to do! Hit the button. You'll get cake when you do, I swear. ;D**


	16. Did I miss something?

**_Author's Notes:_** Yay for sixteen chapters! I have a feeling we'll be breaking a hundred reviewers this chapter. ;) Which is kind of, you know... ridiculously AWESOME? So yeah. Want to contribute to that, just hit the button! Your reviews honestly make my days, guys, and you get cake. What's there not to love?

Cake to all who reviewed the last chapter then; _Neguru Sucashi, CattyGothLoli, WinterVines, Pyrozia, Afictionado, Kiina3, KNO _and_ e1nav57! _I honestly love you. Also, let us welcome the new folks (you know, people who author alerted, story alerted, story faved and all that jazz): _yunaluna95, phatpanda9, e1nav57, Black Ink Revenge _and _xoBoiKrazy9x3o. _Love ya, peeps! :D Special hugs + whipped cream to WV and Pyrozia - me loves you.

Alright, go do your thing. ;) Read, love, review. In that order. ;)

**_Disclaimer: _**Seriously, would Sasuke be such an asshole in the manga right now if I were the one writing it? I think not.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o16. "Did I miss something?"**

***

"Guys?" Lee attempted again. Neji, eyes closed in meditation, ignored him - and from her lack of audible response, he determined Tenten did as well.

Team Gai was quiet.

It was the strangest thing - what with Tenten's natural cheer and Lee's somewhat unnatural exuberance, evenings spent around the campfire with Team Gai could be anything ranging from cheerful to downright festive and from exasperating to downright annoying. Sad too, sometimes. But hardly ever quiet. It unnerved Neji - and he knew why the situation was as such. He couldn't even begin to imagine how freaked out Lee must be, the only one in their little circle with no clue as to what was going on.

She'd sat down exactly across from him, the fire between them a barrier of sorts, and he didn't delude himself into thinking it wasn't deliberate.

He knew he was to blame for it. Something in his chest wrenched uncomfortably at the thought, but he crushed it almost before acknowledging it. She had read his behaviour all day as being a non-verbal rejection - he could see it in her posture, the way she held herself - defensive, defiant, walls up. She was wrong. It was a matter of self-preservation - he simply could not look at her without tearing his sanity to pieces and losing his mind, and so he didn't - or made an attempt at that, anyway.

They'd made good time today, mostly because he had spurred himself on like he'd never had before so as to stay ahead of Tenten and Lee - 'cause if he had to be alongside her or behind her, Byakugan be damned, he would have hit every tree in the forest for failing to see anything but her.

His own mind had turned traitor on him. There were two reasons why he'd spent most of the evening in meditation. One; he needed the peace of mind - badly - and two… He wanted to avoid having to explain why he couldn't keep his eyes off her - because he could hardly explain it to himself, let alone to her.

Gai's deep voice came from his left. "Lee! I believe something has transpired that we could not have foreseen," he declared - Neji could easily imagine how those disturbing large eyebrows must be wiggling.

"What then, Gai-sensei?"

"In time, my student. In time."

It didn't happen very often - next to never - but sometimes Neji was grateful to Gai. The man was the only one who could keep Lee in check when needed, and the last thing Neji had a mind for currently was making an attempt to explain the situation to either of them - thus, it was needed.

He opened his eyes briefly and gazed over the fire, raking his eyes across her form. It was very easy to imagine having her in his arms now that she'd been there before - surprisingly, dangerously easy. The thought was also dangerously pleasant.

Tenten stared right back at him, her chocolate eyes wide and expressive. The amber flecks in them danced in the firelight and seemed to accuse him - what crime exactly they accused him of, he did not know for sure. Indecision, probably. Ignorance. Hurting her.

It grew to be too much. He closed his eyes - but it was in vain, for he still saw her as clearly as he had done a second ago. It took absolutely no effort at all for his thoughts to wander back a few days, to a point in time when she had been much closer, much less defensive, and much more responsive.

Neji clenched his teeth together, fists tense. He had _completely_ lost control with her. And it _scared_ him, the fact that she could make him forget everything he knew except for the way she felt in his arms. They both knew where they would have ended up without interruptions - between the sheets. It scared him; he would not lie to himself about that.

"Did I miss something?" Lee inquired feebly. Neji opened his eyes to fix him with an intimidating stare, but he couldn't help the fact that his gaze slid right past Lee to settle on chocolate depths across from him. The look in her eyes was harsher than it had been before.

"Did he, Neji?" she passed the question on to him, cocking her head to the side the way she had when-

No. _Don't think about that._

He gave her the only answer that would be truthful because she deserved as much - even if he knew it would not satisfy her.

"I don't know."

Her eyes were fire and steel. "Goodnight then," she replied curtly. Neji allowed himself to watch as she retired to her sleeping bag, facing away from him - he didn't delude himself into thinking that wasn't deliberate either.

He didn't turn away until her breathing told him she'd fallen asleep and he couldn't justify staring at her any longer, his thoughts an utter mess. It wasn't hard to see the truth hidden underneath now that she'd pointed it out to him.

She _loved_ him.

He would be loathe to admit it, but that was the scariest thing of all.

***

**You know what to do! You'll get cake when you do, I swear. ;D Love you guys! *hug***


	17. Don't deny it

**_Author's Notes:_** Yay for over a hundred revieeeeeeeews! Yay. Cake to you all! Especially _Kesshichan, Afictionado, Pyrozia, Flames Chaos and Wolf, CattyGothLoli, Ms. Arsenic, Neguru Sucashi, SparkDazzleDuez, LadyReaderofBooks, WinterVines, e1nav57, __KNO, XLivetoLaughX, Musika590, Baka'sAngel, kenny no. 1 _and_ knjsh. _Wow, long list! :D 13 reviews this time, which is more than ever. I am totally high on happiness right now. ;) Feel free to make me high on your review as well, dear reader! ;) You've got no idea how much I would appreciate that.

_Tsuneni _is going up soon! Yay! That's the SasuSaku spin-off of this story that I've been telling you guys about. A large part of the storyline runs parallel with that of _Tawakemono_, so it's going to start soon. For those of you that liked _Koigokoro _and have been wanting me to do another SasuSaku. And those of you who want me to write more NejiTen (yes, you, Pyro ;) - _Aikouka _is in the works.

On another note, this chapter is quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever written. Gahhhhhh. It was such an ordeal to get this done! I hope you can't tell from the writing how much I struggled with it, that'd be a shame. Argh. For once it wasn't Neji who was being a pain in the ass to me, but Tenten - which is strange since we always get along. But also kind of understandable since she does most of the talking... Anyhow, I am so glad this is finally out there! I've got a large part of what's next written out already, so from here on writing the rest of the story is a breeze. Or something. ;)

I really, really hope you enjoy this and that you take just a couple of seconds of your time to tell me that you did! :D Love you guys.

**_Disclaimer: _**Like I've said a thousand times before; nope nope nope.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o17. "Don't deny it."**

***

Her dream had been a good one that ventured into the realm of what was beginning to seem like an impossible future. All it involved was Neji's eyes - and though he hadn't said a thing, still everything about those eyes had managed to convey the message that everything was going to be alright. When she awoke, she was hardpressed to decide if doing so was an improvement.

His eyes were still there, intent as ever, but the message in them was quite undiscernable - apart from the fact that it was clear they _weren't _telling her everything was going to be alright. Not much of an improvement. On the other hand, his fingertips rested lightly on her cheek, and even if that was only to wake her up without waking anyone else, it was a massive upgrade from his refusal to touch her or look at her all day. Even the gentle pressure of his fingers grazing her jaw rekindled the fire for him within her and Tenten found that she'd missed it - he hadn't touched her since… Strange, how a person could miss torture.

"Tenten."

He pulled his hand back when she sat up, and she allowed herself only one moment of despondent gloom over the loss of his touch before shaking it off. "What?" she inquired, finally managing to look away from his eyes. It dark, around midnight if her guess wasn't off, but the moon watched over them. Two rather identical shadowed figures snored loudly on the other side of the dying embers of the fire. Tenten knew Lee and Gai to be truly unresponsive when they were asleep; for all intents and purposes, she was alone with Neji. That was a thought requiring instant suppressing and yet failing to be suppressed. She remembered all too well what had happened the last time they were alone together, and her chest clenched tight with misplaced anticipation - misplaced, because she was quite sure nothing like that was on Neji's agenda right now.

"We need to talk," he stated quietly. Well, she couldn't say that wasn't true, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "Regarding what I said, tonight."

"Yeah," she acknowledged. "That sounds about right."

For a while the silence stretched between them; it felt like something that made the air thicken, somehow making it hard to breathe. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore.

"'I don't know'," she recited from her memory.

"Tenten…"

She shook her head softly. "It's really unfair, you know? I put my heart on the line, and what do you do? You tell me you don't know?" She pushed her bangs out of the way and looked up at him, feeling a bit off-kilter. Maybe if he wouldn't look at her like that, she could pull her act together. "That hurts," she admitted.

His eyes were full of grave sincerity when he spoke next, and she couldn't quite be as mad at him as she perhaps should be. "I am sorry."

It did make her feel better, but it wasn't enough. "Me too," she sighed quietly.

"Tenten-"

Tenten shook her head and held up a hand. "No, let me finish. I am not sorry that I told you, or that I asked you to kiss me, or," she paused briefly, gathering her thoughts, "or that you did, for that matter. Anything but. But I _am_ sorry that you're being an idiot and that you're being careless with my heart - and I know you don't mean to, but that doesn't take away the fact that you are!"

"It's not a choice," he replied curtly, echoing her words from a few days ago. Tenten couldn't resist the urge to glare at him.

"But it _ought to be_," she insisted. "I told you I'd be fine with whatever you chose, what you decided, and I meant that, but 'I don't know' is not a decision, Neji." She willed him to understand, trying to emphasize with her eyes what she was trying to say.

His voice was very quiet and yet very clear. "Tenten, it's not true."

Her heart leapt to her throat. She didn't lower her eyes - she held his gaze and felt every ounce of her attraction for him wash over her. His eyes were less like molten silver in the moonlight than they'd been that night due to the foliage overhead, but no less potent.

"Not fully. I know what's here," he continued. "But not where we're going."

Tenten couldn't help but smile. "Did I ever say I did?" she countered.

Neji was silent.

She studied his finely sculpted features intently and bit her lip. "Do you need that?" she asked tentatively. "'Cause I haven't got the answer either."

_'But that's okay_,' she added in her mind futilely. He probably would not agree with her on that one.

"This," Tenten gestured at the space between them, "feels right. Doesn't it?"

His eyes grew infinitesimally darker and instantly Tenten felt her heart speed up, memories of that look filling her thoughts.

It was surprisingly easy to convince herself to take a chance, ignore common sense and lean closer to him to kiss him. Instantly, her mind soared and she felt her body come alive as though every nerve she knew she had and some whose existence she'd never even suspected had been dormant her whole life and were only now waking up. With her toes tingling and shivers racing down her back, it was impossible to imagine how he could have any reservations. Her hands were burning to touch him, but somehow she kept them at her sides.

He didn't - his fingertips found her cheek again and judging by the way it felt he must be leaving burns in his wake. It took a dangerously large amount of willpower to pull away - _much _more than it had taken to overrule her common sense and lean into him. She allowed herself to hover close to him for another second or two to revel in the experience, before retreating back to safer territory fully.

His eyes were ice and fire and she couldn't have looked away even if she wanted to. "Don't deny it."

Slowly, he shook his head. "I won't."

Tenten laid back down and tugged her sleeping bag around her - as a way to keep her warm, it was severely lacking in comparison to Neji. "I'm not saying it'll be fine. But I think we've got something here, and I want you to give it a chance, Neji," she plead. "But even if you won't - at least make up your mind."

***

**Hehehe.**


	18. Damn him

**_Author's Notes:_** Argh. I'm so sorry this took so long.... And it's really short, too! Sorry! I was actually going to put what is now going to be chapter 19 as this chapter, but it just felt too sudden. This is filler, I know, and I'm sorry that I made you wait so long for such a shorty, but it is necessary - trust me.

_Cake time! _Huge thanks go to _alekka, zoraidal, kitten9322, vicious-fluffy-bunny-llama, _and_ Nachitotm _for adding the story to your faves or your alerts, and thanks soooooo much to the lovely reviewers (you get cake ^_^) _kenni no. 1, XLivetoLaughX, kesshichan, Neguru Sucashi, Afictionado, e1nav57, CattyGothLoli, KNO, _and most of all_ Pyrozia _and _WinterVines! _I love all of you guys to the river Styx and back, and then three loops 'round Pluto (who _is _a planet, damnit!).

Reviews are appreciated more than anything and absolutely make my day/world, so if you'd be so kind? You'll get cake in the next chapter. ;) Yes, that is indeed a bribe.

Enjoy!

**_Disclaimer: _**Ha, I wish!

***

_Tawakemono_

**o18. '_Damn him.'_**

***

The next morning, Tenten felt the instant she opened her eyes that something had changed. She didn't know quite what, how or why, but the change was as undeniable the fact that the sun was rising. She could almost taste it in the air.

It was as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes that the previous night came back to her, and her heart soared in her throat and crumpled in her chest at the same time. Neji had given in, something so unlike him that she realised full well he'd only do so if he truly meant it. He had acknowledged the attraction that flared up whenever they so much as looked at eachother, the electric currents that whipped back and forth between them when he touched her.

And only that. Admittance only, actual initiative; none. Nothing more. Nothing concrete.

_'Damn that man.'_

But when she propped herself up and found him watching her from across the clearing, somehow her frustrations all faded away, if only for a moment. That secret something she couldn't quite put a name to was there in his eyes, throwing her off-kilter, reminding her of those times when he'd had his hands on her - it became hard to breathe.

Then his gaze grew harsher - more determined, in a way. There were no words, but she understood.

She understood perfectly. And he was right, as much as she regretted the fact. They had other things to focus on - their mission, for one thing. It might only be a standard patrol, but there was never a time when there weren't several small skirmishes going on near the border. Neither of them could afford to lose focus.

Tenten realised quite well that things might never get any easier.

_'Damn him.'_

And yet, she couldn't help but feel some sort of release. The tension in the air had changed, morphed from a wary kind of pressure into a tingle of anticipation. She was no longer scared of his answer - because even if they messed up and everything fell apart, she at least had the confirmation that it wasn't all in her head. _He felt it too. _And that was more than she'd once dared to hope for.

***

**Hehehe. Hate me, love me, but whichever you do; don't forget to leave a review!**


	19. If I'm going insane it's your fault

**_Author's Notes_****_: _**Yaaaaay. Update!

I'm so sorry this took so long. I was sick all week two weeks ago and did nothing but sleep and throw up. Somehow I always manage to be under the weather in greater or lesser amount all winter; I'm usually perpetually ill from November through March. So when I say that I've been ill, it means I was even more sick than usual. ;) And then last week was test week (a Dutch phenomenon where school just bombards you with important tests all of a sudden and leaves you incapable of doing anything but study and breathe, study and breathe, and maybe catch two hours of sleep inbetween if you're lucky).

Anyways, I'm back and here to stay. We're starting to get to the gist of things now, we're approaching a climax in the plot. So sit tight, lovelies. ;) I really like this chapter, too. After all the tension from previous chapters and all the angsty stuff that's yet to come, it's kind of a breath of fresh, fluffy air in between. Nothing too fluffy, of course, 'cause I can't write cottoncandy-sweet NejiTen - it just doesn't suit them. But still, I had a lot of fun writing it.

Thanks so much to _Flames Chaos and Wolf, Pyrozia, the dishy fishy, Neguru Sucashi, WinterVines, kenni no. 1, e1nav57, vicious-fluffy-bunny-llama, XLivetoLaughX, Riikani, KNO _and _CattyGothLoli _for your reviews, your support and kind words mean the world to me! Cake to ya. ;)

Reviews make my days and make me dance like a rabid bunny no matter where I'm at - surely you want that? And surely you want the cake that awaits you? So then, review please. It would mean the world to me.

Anyhoo, enjoy, my darlings, I hope you like it!

**_Disclaimer: _**Er, no. It would be called NejiTen Paradise, you know?

***

_Tawakemono_

**o19. 'If I'm going insane, it's your fault._'_**

***

"Why do I always have to cook?" Tenten muttered as she chopped up the vegetables for Team Gai's impromptu stew dinner. Neji sat beside her and took in her complaint, hints of his amusement evident in the set of his mouth.

In all fairness, he _was _helping - if only minutely. Lee and Gai weren't even present. Neji prodded the fire again and threw in another hand of willow bark, their tinder. "Because your food tastes best," he provided. Tenten glared at him, but he didn't seem impressed.

Bastard.

She felt like scolding him, but refrained from it. His expression was serene, the smooth plane of his brow unfurrowed; it had been quite a while since she'd seen him this relaxed. She didn't want to ruin it. After all, they'd had quite enough stressful occurrences for one mission - and none of them actually had anything to do with the mission itself. Tenten supposed they were all in need of some quality Team Gai time, without tension and questions hidden in the air. For tonight, she would tuck any questions and insecurities she had about Neji's feelings for her away into a little corner of her heart, and she wouldn't let them out until morning came back around.

Too bad half of the team was missing, running laps around camp with a radius of about two miles. _Crazy. _

It had been a while since they'd had time alone.

She sneaked a glance at Neji. He reminded her somewhat of a reclining panther like this, stretched out languidly but with undiluted power running right beneath his skin. His keen eyes kept track of every movement she made. On one hand she supposed it was some kind of compliment that she held his attention so, but on the other hand it was unnerving to be scrutinized by him.

Not that it was an uncommon occurrence nowadays. Ever since their little talk at night it was like he'd let go of some of the restraint he'd exercised before, like one of his walls had been broken down and now he had no scruples about undressing her with his eyes anymore - or, something like that. Who knew what he was thinking about when he watched her - who could even wonder what was on his mind with those eyes on them? She had enough of a hard time keeping her own thoughts together, let alone speculating about his.

Tenten tossed a handful of chopped meat into the pot to go with the vegetables already contained therein and let Neji position it over the fire. Then she sat back - there was nothing more she could do but wait while their food simmered.

Not a good thing. Because, as she'd found out over and over the past days, whenever her hands were unoccupied her mind would take over and spin all sorts of crazy fantasies involving…

'_Wrong train of thought, Tenten,' _she scolded herself as she reached for the closest one of her scrolls to commit herself to some weapons' care; keep those hands occupied, those thoughts from overstepping the - admittedly somewhat shaky - bounds she'd put on them. She set about sharpening her favourite kunai set religiously.

Another glance at the man across from her. Well, who could blame her mind for wandering? He'd given her quite enough cause for it. Once again the feeling of his hands gripping her waist as his lips held hers captive flashed across her mind's eye and Tenten briefly closed her eyes.

"Wrong again," she mumbled to herself as she directed her attention back to the blade in her hands.

"Hmm?" Neji inquired.

Tenten jerked her head up in surprise - had she spoken aloud? - and found the moment that she met his gaze that doing so had been a mistake. The secret was there in his eyes again, breathtaking in intensity, impossible to deny or recognise as anything other than what it was.

"Nothing," she muttered. "Just talking to myself."

She knew Neji didn't buy it - he never did. "First sign of insanity," he remarked off-handedly.

Tenten snorted. "Well, if I'm going insane it's your fault," she quipped. Only after she'd said it did she realize that it wasn't just a joking reply - it was the truth, plain and simple. She looked up at him and saw instantly that he realised it too by the way his eyes had changed; as though the bottom had dropped out of the pools of moonlight they'd been before and now there was no end to them, no escape for her.

The piece of her heart in which she'd locked the feelings imploded, and she felt the exhilarating emotions run through her; love, need, and so much longing coursing through her veins that she could write a hundred pages and still not have described it all - provided she could even put it into words. Tenten severely doubted it.

Neji knew it all, all those observations that ran through her mind. She knew he saw everything.

"Tenten." She could see by the way he frowned that he wanted to say something more. His fingertips appeared at her cheekbone, brushing softly across the skin there. His touch sent dozens of lightning bolts sizzling across her skin, and she had goose bumps down to her toes.

"Neji," she spoke, not knowing quite why. Maybe she meant it as a warning, to tell him not to take it any further if he wasn't… If his heart wasn't in it. Or maybe she meant it as an invitation. Maybe she just needed to feel the syllables of his name on her tongue, experience the shiver she felt when she saw his eyes change - she could see her mood reflected in his eyes. She knew it did something to him, when she said his name like that. Tenten allowed herself to lean into his hand - allowed herself to expose how much she wanted him. They were way past keeping secrets now, past taking into account the risks.

Way past letting go.

He made the first move this time, drawing her to him with one arm. Tenten caved and leant into him, allowed him to work his magic. Everything she knew to be around her all but vanished until her world consisted of nothing but him and the fire coursing through her, slow this time, but deep and all-consuming. The kiss was different from their previous ones in that it lacked the certain brand of desperation that had laced their previous kisses; he tasted like hope this time around.

Didn't mean it didn't still feel like she was losing her mind - in fact, she was quite sure she'd already lost it and now she only worried about getting it back. Like this, so close, while attempting to get every part of her connected to every part of him, sanity seemed like an impossible thing; something out of a dream back before the world went crazy and men like Neji took up things like kissing girls out of the blue.

Not that she was complaining. _Hell no. _

Somewhere in the haze she felt him reel her in even further, and it struck her how different their roles were from the way they had been. He was the one clutching her to him, the instigator, the fuel - not the other way around. It was the first time he'd kissed her truly of his own record - she realised that full well and swore to herself she would not let him regret it. Curling her fingers in his hair near the base of his skull she mirrored his hands in her own hair and let go of everything but Neji, Neji, _Neji… _

Mere seconds later she felt him change. Neji went rigid like an ice statue underneath her lips, causing Tenten herself to still as well, in surprise and confusion. Inside she was cursing, damning to hell and back the cause for the dishearteningly disconnected feel of the man she now held in her arms, his attention elsewhere.

There was regret and something akin to an apology in his eyes when he dropped his arms from her body, leaving her feeling strangely as though she was swaying with nothing to anchor her even though she knew she sat perfectly still on her sturdy tree trunk.

The next instant two green figures were spat out by the foliage beside her. She recognised Lee and Gai, but what she didn't understand were the serious looks on their faces. Her heart was still caught in the moment, still connected to Neji, but she forced her mind to focus on the situation at hand. '_We're still on a mission,' _she reprimanded herself. Gai's voice broke the tense atmosphere.

"We've got company."

***

**Oooooh, suspense! ;) You know what to do. :D**


	20. Hyuuga Neji, terminally addicted

**_Author's Notes_****_: _Wheeeeeeee! **I'm on a roll here, people.

This is probably one of my favourite chapters so far, along with 13 (the First Kiss chapter) and 17, because it gives us some more insight in Neji's thoughts and feelings. Those can be summed up quite easily; he's going insane. ;) But there's so much more behind it than just that, and in this chapter I reveal his issues a bit more. I'm loving it, and I really hope you do too. ;) This was another one of those chapters that just wrote itself, all I had to do was sit with my fingers resting on the keys and the gods of fanfiction did the rest, I guess. :D

On another note; wow, chapter 20! You know, when I first started this story I never intended it to be this long, but it kind of ran off in ways I couldn't have imagined at the beginning. I'm glad it did though. ;) Anyways, if the story lets me keep it in check from now on, there should be about ten more chapters. And in about three I'll start posting _Tsuneni, _my SasuSaku companion piece to this story. You see, _Tsuneni_ starts somewhere in the middle of _Tawakemono, _and the plots of both stories from that point on are quite entertwined. It is great fun to write that kind of structure. :D

Cake time! Extra chocolate frosting for you guys this time, 'cause you stuck with me through my little dry spell and still reviewed, even though I left you guys hanging there for a while. ;) So here goes; thanks and cake to _Pyrozia, Neguru Sucashi, Flames Chaos and Wolf, SparkDazzleDuez, WinterVines, e1nav57, KNO, ayumwu _and_ CattyGothLoli. _:D Love you guys to Andromeda and back, or something like that. ;) Also, hello to the new readers; _wrecked, Sinewyk _and _CheRfuLemOv0_! Welcome aboard, mates.

Enjoy, my sweets, I hope you like it! And please leave me a review - they make my day and world and everything and mean so much to me.

**_Disclaimer: _**Bwaha. Yeah, like I would let my beloved Sasuke get the way he's gotten over the past few chapters. Psh.

***

_Tawakemono_

**o2o. '_Hyuuga Neji, terminally addicted.'_**

***

Neji was almost happy to find they had run into trouble. He realized it was crazy, to feel invigorated at the thought of battle, but he desperately needed to find some kind of release. And what better way to get his frustrations out of his system than a good fight?

He could think of quite a few better ways to release, of course. He could think of a lot of ways without any difficulty at all; all he had to do was close his eyes and she was there in his waking dreams, and he… He had never known greater temptation, and the worst part was that she didn't even know how captivating she really was.

If he were honest with himself, he knew that there would be no getting her out of his system anyway - no matter how much he thought he had himself under control, all he had to do was look at her and his self-imposed bounds and shackles went slipping and sliding and dissolving into the haze that wrapped around his thoughts, and the traitorous part of him that was happy to see them go only grew stronger and stronger.

He sighed. She was going to be the death of him.

_Hyuuga Neji, terminally addicted_ - and loving it.

He had no say in things anymore, and he found that he didn't even mind as much as he should. It wasn't up to him anymore - his thoughts were no longer his. Worse than that, his _body _was no longer his.

He still didn't know what had possessed him to kiss her again. The one thing he remembered most from the moments where he had held her, was the strangest mix of feeling at once completely lost beyond all hope, and at the same time feeling as though he'd come home. He was lost in her, and he never wanted to be found.

He cursed himself silently. Getting lost in her wasn't something he ought to be doing - not here, of all places. He had been so _preoccupied _with her that he hadn't even seen the enemy coming that Lee and Gai had seen on their training laps. And he was supposed to be the one that watched out for all of them - that kept a look out even in his sleep.

By indulging her, he endangered her - where was the sense in that?

With the way they were headed, something had to give. And he'd rather it were the skull of an enemy than his composure. There was no getting her out of his head, he knew it - but he would try nonetheless.

They prepared for battle with the silent, easy efficiency of a team well-versed in the ways of battle. There was a reason they were the team most often sent out to the northeastern border, after all; no team had the mix of teamwork and experience down the way they did.

Lighting was an officially an ally, but never a friend, and the grey areas between their two countries were never completely devoid of illicit activity.

"Five minutes," he informed his teammates, receiving a cheerful 'yosh!' from the two green beasts running in circles around the clearing.

Neji kept his eyes to his own as much as he could, but the fact of the matter was that he didn't have much to gather and strap on. His weapons were his hands, first and foremost. So instead he watched Tenten as she geared up, snapping buckles and tightening fastenings like the professional she was, and he felt his heart swell dangerously in his chest.

Was there anything about her that didn't make him want to jump her bones?

She too was filled with the anticipation of the fight, he could tell by the way her fingers twitched when she snapped shut the holsters on each of her thighs. She caught him watching her, and the softest of blushes dusted her cheeks as her eyes grew distant for a fragment of a second. The smile she gifted him with spoke of faith, and it only made him love her more.

…

Neji felt his mind, body and soul grow silent at the thought, and inwardly he contemplated it.

True, yes - undeniably so. True like nothing he had ever known.

And dangerous like nothing he had ever known, too, especially now.

Impossible to entertain, especially now - impossible to allow.

He steeled himself in preparation for battle and faced the direction he knew their enemy to be in, feeling all the while as though he'd ripped his heart out.

***

**Erm... Don't kill me? You'll never get to read the rest of the story if you do! *smiles nervously* And, err... Reviews, please?**


	21. Tenten!

**_Author's Notes: _**Umm... What to say after seven or so months... Sorry? T_T I really do mean it when I say sorry, but I guess it sounds kind of insufficient for the amount of sorry I'm trying to express here. Life has been crazy hectic for me the past couple of months and I'm not lying when I say that I've never had this much shit and awesomeness happen to me in such a short time, ever. It's a long story and one that is perhaps not quite fitted for Author's Notes, so I won't go into detail. Just know that the saying 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger', from my experience, is definitely true - it just takes a long time for you to realise it and get to a point where you actual feel stronger instead of just a big ol' mess.

Anyways, I haven't forgotten about you guys or this story, and I hope you haven't forgotten about me. I want to thank everybody that reviewed and read the story and messaged me about me having to continue or else 'breaking your heart' and whatnot. ;) It really pushed me to do what I love - which is writing. So big, huge, humongous, out of this world thanks go to; _Manda721, Lioele, Ekun-Asha, Kunoichi-of-the-Leaf, eliace, , Sisterhood Of Traveling Kunai, frenchesca, .Koe, TheCynic'sDream, La Nuit Noire, senorita lopez, Aeraqua, Quill of Molliemon, Leona DragonBlood Aero, vinaduhhx3, maddie4president, DotsOnAWall, LovelyIAmNot, Shawnlina, Very happy randomness fairy, inuyashagirl22, mewmewmemint, Midnight Insomniac, coolprettyangel2006, hisoka-ai9, PeaceGirlForever, absentmindedboricua, Blood Stained Sorceress, storyaddicted, Rose Angel of the night, sailor winx, SmoothCriminal85, Jins-swords, Senka Hitomi, starisice, Mysterious Bluerose, WTF, asdf, the dishy fishy_ and _Franoncrack_ (the last four are anonymous reviewers :p).

About this chapter; you're going to hate me. It's not the best thing I've ever written (in fact, I'll wager it's probably one of the worst chapters of the whole story) but at least it's a new chapter and I promise that its suckiness will lead to greater and infinitely more awesome writing for the last chapters of the story - which aren't that many, by the way. Four or five after this one, I think? We're on the final streak... Which is why I'm all the more sorry for leaving you guys hanging so long. You might want to reread some of the latest chapters to get back into the groove, because I imagine a lot of you completely forgot what the story was even about (again, my fault :(). Anyways... In this chapter, we're going to shock Neji into common sense, and the way I go about it…

Well, you're going to hate me. ;) That's all I'm going to say.

_Tawakemono_

**o21. _'_Tenten!'**

When they happened across the band of rogues that he'd seen, those rogues didn't stand a chance. Neji remembered hearing rumors about them - one of the things Tsunade had told him to be aware of when they left was that the area they were headed for had been troubled by illicit activities by a few outlaws for a while now. Now that they were face to face, Neji decided the group had grown since Tsunade received the first complaints - not surprising, since the mission had been put aside until after Naruto and Hinata threw their party, like so many others. But even despite having grown, the group's numbers still weren't very impressive. 'Ten,' Neji confirmed what he'd already seen earlier, feeling almost disappointed. Sinking into his signature fighting stance, he fought to surpress the feeling. He'd been in the mood for a bit of a challenge, if only to release the build-up of tension constricting his heart and muddling with his thoughts. But perhaps he ought to be grateful?

The battle was a fluke; so easy it was almost funny, more of a practice round than anything else. He activated the Byakugan a couple of minutes in - not that he needed it to win, but fighting without keeping an eye on Tenten and Lee was unnerving - it made him feel on edge, like there was something he was forgetting that he shouldn't be forgetting about - like he was tempting fate. Like parts of him were missing, off doing their own thing, and while he trusted fully in their competence it still felt like he lacked something beside him. Seeing Tenten shower a hooded man with an absolute deluge of metal was strangely reassuring.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five. _

'Bladder, stomach, liver, lungs, heart,' he rehearsed as he struck, again and again, feeling the heartbeat stutter and then still forever. In the middle of the process, something on the edge of his blind spot caught his attention. At five o'clock Tenten was entertaining herself with the last of her share, playing with him; the way she let him slip just too close only to fight him off at the last instance unnerved him. It was something she often did when he sparred with her - the only difference was that this man would kill her if he got lucky.

"Tenten!" he growled loudly, warning her. She caught his eye from across the field and slmost _pouted_, before nodding her consent. Instantly, the sounds of metal clashing and the corresponding rate of pained exclamations coming from her opponent sped up, and Neji found that he was smirking when he turned back to face some more opponents.

When they finished, barely fifteen minutes had passed. Neji made another once-over of the battleground for reference when he was to write his mission report - though he would probably omit the identical 'Good Guy' poses Lee and Gai were currently scarring his retinas with. He quickly located Tenten to his left and studied her form carefully - perhaps a bit obsessively.

Her chakra wavered slightly, but that was to be expected after using several advanced Soshouryus. One senbon stuck from her right shoulder, but apart from that she seemed to be unscathed - unscather, and possibly radiant.

Surrounded by the tools of her trade she was utterly in her element, the bodies strewn about her feet a testimony to her strength. She let out another deep breath and swiped her dirty, stringy hair back - her buns had become partially undone and her cheeks were streaked with grime. She'd lost her jacket during the battle and the shirt she wore underneath was covered with a mixture of ash and dirt, drenched with sweat and plastered against her glistening skin. She was a mess - but as she stood there in all her glory, chest heaving and eyes shining with victory, in spite of all the dirt and sweat and the exhaustion clearly visible in the way she held herself -

She'd never been more beautiful. Truthfully, he made his decision right then and there - but he didn't get a chance to tell her.

He opened his mouth to call out to her - to say what, he didn't know, but it didn't bother him; he felt like everything he knew didn't even matter anymore. However, the words died in his throat as just when her eyes caught his and the beginnings of a triumphant smile blossomed on her face, her eyes clouded over. He watched in silent horror and she fell to the side, resulting in a resounding crack that he'd heard only several minutes ago; it was the sound of a limb snapping as it hit the ground at a wrong angle, only it sounded so much more terrifying when it was Tenten's - it sounded absolutely horrifying, and it felt as though someone had just ripped his heart right out of him. it felt like his world stopped spinning with hers, and he just couldn't think.

Couldn't speak.

Couldn't even move.

**So... reviews? (L)**


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